Another Little White Lie
by rayrae118
Summary: The odds were always stacked against him. From his father's death, to Tarsus, it seemed like he really couldn't win. But he wouldn't be James T. Kirk if he didn't deliver a great big 'screw you' to the universe, and rise above to become the captain we all know and love. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**OK, so a while ago, when I was writing my other multi-chapter Star Trek story, I posed the question of whether or not people would be interested in a prequel, detailing Jim's time on Tarsus. This is not it. I tried, I really did, but the story that came out is different. This is an AU… of an AU. The journey of Jim Kirk, from childhood to captaincy. Starting on Tarsus, continuing through the events of the first movie. **

**But fear not, the command crew will still come together, just perhaps a bit earlier than in the movie. Because no matter what reality they're in, that crew is destined to be together. And once more. THIS IS AN AU STORY! It will become more and more obvious as the story progresses.**

******The story is mostly done, but I'm posting now, because I've got maybe one or two more chapters to go, and I'm planning on weekly updates, every Sunday, so I wanted to get this out this week, rather than waiting until next Sunday.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape or form. **

Jimmy took a deep breath as he stepped off the shuttle. He didn't know what would happen here, but it had to be better than what he had left behind. He still had to be careful about the way he held himself, as his bruises still ached and his chest felt uncomfortably tight, both reminders of the 'lesson' Frank had given him after the officer had brought him home and explained that his car was now nothing more than twisted metal at the bottom of a ravine.

He shielded his eyes from the bright sun, and was startled to hear his name being called, especially since the people calling for him actually sounded excited.

"Jimmy!"

Jimmy snapped out of his shock and made his way over to the group of four standing off to the side.

His aunt wasted no time in grabbing him in a tight hug, which Jimmy tried his upmost not to wince at, though he also didn't make much effort to return the gesture.

The woman stepped back, smiling. "Jimmy, it is so nice to see you again! You probably don't remember me. We haven't seen each other since my sister's wedding to your stepfather. I'm Marie, and this is my husband Terry, and your cousins, Cory and Lisa." She gestured to the rest of her family, who all waved in turn.

Terry stepped forward to offer his hand for his nephew to shake, but stopped abruptly as he saw the aborted flinch the boy tried to hide.

After an awkward silence in which Jimmy tried to think of something to say, Marie just smiled and gestured for them all to head for their car, one of the typical off road vehicles used on the planet by most of those who dwelled in the outlying farm areas. Most of those who lived in the city either walked, or used much smaller and sleeker models.

Terry grabbed Jimmy's bag, and put it in the trunk of the vehicle before he got in the front and started driving. The trip passed by too slowly for Jimmy, who didn't know how to interact with people who actually seemed excited to be in the same vicinity as him. Marie tried to engage him, telling him about their home, but he just answered any questions with noncommittal grunts and careful one-shouldered shrugs.

Cory told his cousin about the school they would both be attending, seemingly not daunted by the silence emanating from the slightly older boy, while Lisa watched her brother and cousin with a grin, adding a few comments here and there with a typical childlike innocence. She was only five, after all, and didn't really understand much beyond the fact that Jimmy would be staying with them for a while.

They arrived at the small farmhouse soon enough, and Jimmy silently followed his aunt and uncle, as they gave him a small tour, showing him the kitchen, living room, downstairs study and bathroom, pointing out a few outlying buildings and promising a better tour the next day, before they led him upstairs to show him their bedroom, along with Cory's and Lisa's rooms, the upstairs bathroom, and finally, his own room.

They left him there, telling him to take his time and that dinner would be ready in a couple of hours.

Once alone in his new room with the door closed, Jimmy finally let himself relax slightly. He was in an unknown location, with a family he barely remembered. Until he knew what they wanted from him, he would maintain his distance.

Sitting on his new bed, Jimmy bit his lip, feeling his recently mended ribs twinge. Being away from Frank was definitely a relief, but at the same time, at least he knew how to act when living with his asshole of a stepfather. Marie and Terry seemed nice, but he knew better than to let his guard down.

Jimmy pulled his bag over to him and began rifling through it. He didn't bother unpacking though; he doubted these people would want him around for too long. Not once they got to know him, and figured out just how much of a freak he really was. How screwed up he was. After all, there was a reason Frank treated him the way he did, right? There was a reason Sam had left, and why his mother couldn't even spend more than five minutes in a room with him. Right?

These thoughts quickly ate up the rest of the afternoon, and soon enough, Marie was calling him down to dinner.

Jimmy listened to the chatter of the family around him, picking at his lasagna halfheartedly.

"Jimmy?" Jimmy looked up, startled, and Marie smiled softly, trying to hide her worry for her young nephew. "Is it all right? If you don't like it, that's fine, we have plenty else you can eat."

Jimmy shook his head forcefully. "I'm fine," he replied quietly.

Marie nodded, and returned to her own meal, as Terry returned to telling his family about the day in the fields, simultaneously explaining to Jimmy a little about what he did. Terry, along with most of the other men, and a few women, who lived in their outlying village, worked the fields. Marie spent most of her day at home, minding the house and looking after Lisa, who was too young to go to school just yet.

When the meal was over, Cory and Lisa were dismissed – Cory went to finish his homework while Lisa went to go play with her toys – and Marie bustled around the kitchen cleaning up; Jimmy sat there awkwardly as Terry observed. Jimmy appeared to be a very skittish child, afraid of angering him and Marie. They hadn't been told much by Marie's sister Winona, before the Starfleet officer had lost her patience and screamed at her sister to take the 'damn brat' so that her husband wouldn't have to deal with him.

Jimmy's aversion to making adults mad just screamed abuse, and Terry had to force himself not to react to that thought. No child should be afraid in his own home.

Once Marie had cleared the table, she sat back down next to her husband. "Jimmy, we'd like to set down a few ground rules, just so you can know what's expected of you. I understand that this is a big change." She waited until Jimmy nodded hesitantly, feeling her heart clench at the fear she saw poorly masked in his eyes. "First, we expect you to keep your room neat. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it can't look like the closet exploded either. All right?"

Jimmy's lips quirked slightly, but he controlled the reaction quickly as he nodded again.

Marie smiled as Terry's hand found hers under the table, and she continued. "Cory and Lisa both have chores they need to perform each week, so we'll redistribute the list, and you'll help them."

Jimmy nodded for a third time, feeling himself relax just a little bit. So far, these rules were nothing too bad. He could handle that; he had certainly done enough cleaning, with all the alcohol Frank liked to consume: someone had to pick up all the empty bottles, otherwise Frank would just be angrier.

Terry took over now, shifting in his seat, even as he drew strength from his wife's presence, knowing that they would need to act much more carefully around Jimmy than they did with their own children. "I know you're young, and you'll no doubt love to spend time outside, playing with the other kids, but we insist that you finish your homework before fun. OK?"

Jimmy almost snorted, but held it in, knowing that neither Terry nor Marie would understand. He hadn't told anyone that he had, in fact, completed the requirements to graduate high school when he was seven. Nor had he told anyone that he had completed his second college degree just a few weeks earlier. Right before his brother had decided that not even Jimmy was enough to stick around for, and had run away, precipitating Jimmy's decision to take what didn't belong to Frank, and make sure he could never pretend otherwise again. Perhaps not one of his finer moments, but he had been angry, and hurt, and upset. Why couldn't Sam have taken him with him?

Jimmy nodded his consent, and Terry smiled lightly. "We'll take you to the local school tomorrow, and get you enrolled. You're a year older than Cory, so most likely, you'll be in the sixth year of schooling. But education is different here from what it is on Earth. They divide by ability, not age. It makes for better and more constructive classes."

Jimmy nodded again, wondering what they would make of him. He wondered how many times he would hear the word 'freak' aimed at him in the coming days, and briefly entertained the idea of underperforming to divert attention from himself, but knew he would never do such a thing. His pride wouldn't allow it.

Marie and Terry dismissed him to finish settling in after making sure he had no questions, and Jimmy wasted no time in hurrying back to his new bedroom, once more relaxing once the door was shut against any intruders.

He pulled out a pair of pajamas and changed as quickly as possible, holding his breath as he exchanged the shirt he had been wearing for a sleep shirt, letting it out as he finished, feeling his ribs once more twinge in protest of the movement.

With nothing else to do, he tentatively got into the simple twin sized bed, and closed his eyes, trying to sleep. It wasn't coming quickly, however, as he was unable to stop the memories of the last few weeks, from driving the car off that cliff – including that split second where he actually considered going with it – to the officer dragging him home, to Frank's lesson on discipline, and waking up in the hospital a day later. His mother had decided that she and Frank couldn't deal with him anymore, and a few days into his hospital stay, he had been visited by a social worker who informed him that his mother had signed away guardianship to her sister, and he would be leaving for the colony on Tarsus IV as soon as he was released, in a monotone voice that told Jimmy quite clearly that the overworked and underpaid state employee probably didn't care in the slightest about him, or just what had happened to land him in the hospital in the first place.

Jimmy hadn't said more than ten words since that hospital stay. It had been a very awkward trip on the transport ship; Jimmy had easily been the youngest person on board, as the transport stopped at several planets before reaching Tarsus. He had been the only one left for the last leg, and the captain, sensing his interest, had shown Jimmy around the ship, explaining a little about how it ran, and what he did to oversee operations. Jimmy hadn't said anything to the man, but he had been grateful for the distraction from everything – the past, and the unknown future.

Somewhere in the middle of his reminiscing, Jimmy must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up to the sound of Marie knocking on his door.

"Jimmy, breakfast will be ready soon."

Jimmy grunted, getting up quickly, stumbling a little as a wave of dizziness hit him. He heard Marie walk down the hall to wake his cousins, and, as soon as the room settled around him, went over to his bag to pull out some clothes.

A few minutes later, dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, Jimmy walked downstairs and stood by the table, looking hesitant.

Marie smiled at him, placing a plate piled high with pancakes in front of the chair he was standing next to. "You don't need to wait, Jimmy. Dig in while they're hot."

Jimmy bit his lip, not meeting her friendly gaze, but he sat down and started to play with the food on his plate, cutting up the pancakes with his fork and eating a small bite every so often.

Marie, watching him as she prepared more plates for her children and husband, couldn't help but feel the same nervous worry she had felt the night before. Jimmy was a very quiet child, though she caught a glimpse of something every so often, hiding beneath the surface, which suggested he wasn't so silent by nature; more that he didn't want to say anything to bring about some sort of punishment. She was an observant woman, and had caught the flinches, the winces, and the too careful way he held himself. She knew he had been released from the hospital just before coming here, but unlike that apathetic social worker, she was more interested in why he had been there in the first place. She had only met Frank once, at Winona's wedding, but just that one meeting had been enough to set her on edge. There was something… off, about the man. He had seemed dangerous, somehow.

Terry, Cory, and Lisa joined Jimmy a minute later, and once Marie had served them, she sat down herself.

Jimmy had learned the night before that Terry was usually out at work before everyone else woke up, but he would come with his family to the school this morning, so that he and Marie could be there for Jimmy.

Once breakfast was over, Marie sent Cory upstairs to get his school things, while she cleaned Lisa up – the five year old had made a mess of herself, syrup everywhere, from her hair down to her feet.

Jimmy didn't have anything to collect for school, so he just sat at the table and waited. Several times, he took a breath and opened his mouth, but lost his nerve and just closed his mouth again.

Terry set down his coffee cup and turned to his nephew. He could see that the boy wanted to say something. "Jimmy, is everything all right?"

Jimmy bit his lip, looking down. It took him a minute to work up his courage, but finally, he spoke, still looking at the table. "Would it be all right… I mean, do you think… could you not tell anyone my last name?"

Terry, and Marie – who had finished cleaning up Lisa and joined them at the table – seemed confused.

"Why not?" Marie asked gently.

Jimmy bit his lip and shrugged. "I just don't want people to know about…"

He trailed off, but Terry thought he understood, and shifted in his seat. "All right," he agreed. "We'll use our name when enrolling you today."

Jimmy looked up briefly and nodded, the ghost of a smile making its way across his face. "Thank you," he whispered softly.

Marie stood up and rested a hand on his shoulder gently, squeezing lightly as she tried to ignore the slight flinch. "Why don't you go finish getting ready? We need to leave soon."

Jimmy nodded, and left the room, heading upstairs and leaving the adults alone.

Marie and Terry looked at each other, feeling completely out of their depth. They didn't know how to handle a boy who flinched at everything and barely spoke. They did think they could understand why he didn't want people to know he was a Kirk, though. Having the stigma of a famous father hanging over him must be hard. Even more, Marie knew that her sister had issues with her youngest, all stemming from the fact that he was born in the wake of her husband's death, and he, more than Sam, looked so much like his father.

Cory returned downstairs first, giving his parents a few minutes to explain Jimmy's request. To his credit, the eleven year old simply rolled with it, not asking any questions.

Once Jimmy returned, now sporting a light hoodie over his t-shirt, the family left for the local school, Lisa being carried by her mother, and Cory and Jimmy walking side by side in between Cory's parents.

The school was a short fifteen minute walk away, and passed quickly, with Marie, Terry, and Cory pointing anything of interest out to Jimmy, and naming families that lived in various houses. Cory was happy to point out some of his friends' homes, excited to introduce them to his cousin.

Cory waved goodbye as he went to his classroom, and Marie and Terry led Jimmy to the Administration office.

Terry took the lead, and soon enough, Jimmy was being tested by the school to determine what level he would be placed in.

An hour later, the Principal looked across his desk at the young boy, and his guardians. "Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding, it is a pleasure to see you again." He then smiled at the new face in his office. "Mr. Spaulding, we haven't been introduced yet. I'm Jeremy Winters, the Principal here." Jimmy nodded once, not saying anything. Undaunted, Mr. Winters continued. "I wanted to speak with you all a bit about James' test scores."

"Jimmy."

Mr. Winters broke off at the quiet interruption from his newest student, before he continued, nodding his agreement. "Jimmy, your test scores are off the charts. What level were you at in your old school?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Didn't really see the point of going," he hedged quietly, not meeting anyone's gaze. "Not like I ever learned anything new." He probably should have told them that he had already completed high school, but he figured he would get enough stares already, no need to draw more attention to himself.

Mr. Winters paused for a moment, before he nodded. "Well, here, we place students by ability, rather than age. I think we shouldn't have a problem putting you in the highest group. There's another boy there about your age, so you'll have some company."

Jimmy perked up a little, hearing that he wouldn't automatically be the youngest in the class.

Mr. Winters then proceeded to have Marie and Terry sign a few forms indicating their consent at Jimmy's placement, and a few other necessities. "Now, we require each student to take two electives. We have a few options, including languages, art, music, and physical fitness, which is considered an elective after the tenth year of schooling."

Jimmy thought about it for a few minutes, before he decided on Art and a language.

Mr. Winters nodded, making a few notes on the PADD in front of him. "We offer several options for languages. Unfortunately, it's not as diverse as we would like, but we're restricted to the teachers we have available. The choices are Andorian or Tellarite."

Jimmy chose Andorian, so after Mr. Winters added that to the new student's schedule, he finished up the meeting and gave the new student a tour.

Marie and Terry, asking and receiving a negative response as to whether or not Jimmy wanted them to stay, took Lisa and departed, promising to be there when school let out for the day.

Mr. Winters was very eager to show his new student around. James Spaulding was brilliant, as his tests showed, and Jeremy loved meeting those kinds of kids. Their school was much more progressive than those on Earth, something that appealed to many. Rather than grouping based on age, they wanted students who were at the same level of learning to be grouped together. Jeremy felt that it made for a better learning environment. If at any point during their schooling, a child was deemed to be moving more slowly or quickly than their fellow classmates, he or she would be moved to the appropriate level.

He showed Jimmy the lunchroom, the outdoor seating area, the playground, and a few other communal rooms, such as the gymnasium and the music room, before he took Jimmy to his scheduled class for the current period, and introduced him to the teacher – Mrs. Greer – and the other students. Most were seventeen or eighteen, though there were one or two a few years younger.

Mrs. Greer immediately sat Jimmy down next to another kid around his age, smiling. "Jimmy, this is Tom. If you have any questions about anything, I'm sure he'll be happy to help you."

Jimmy nodded, taking a seat and listening as Mrs. Greer went back to her lecture. This appeared to be a History class, and Jimmy consulted the schedule given to him by the Principal. They were discussing Federation History at the moment, First Contact with the Vulcans to be exact. Nothing new to Jimmy, but he was well practiced at looking like he was paying attention, so he continued to study his schedule. They had Mathematics next, followed by English Literature, Physics and Art. Tomorrow he had different classes, and then the day after, it was the same schedule as today.

The class passed by relatively quickly, and despite already knowing the subject, Jimmy found himself interested.

Tom immediately introduced himself properly as soon as the bell rang, packing up and leading Jimmy towards the math classroom, talking a mile a minute as they walked, excited to have someone his age in the same level as him.

They reached the room with several minutes to spare, so the two twelve year olds kept talking. Well, Tom did most of the talking, but Jimmy answered any questions he postured, keeping his responses as concise as possible.

**XXX**

Jimmy's first day passed by uneventfully. He was surprised that none of the older students held any resentment for him, as they had at his old school – he hadn't been in their class, but that hadn't stopped them from making fun of the freaky seven-year-old genius. It had been all those remarks and bullying that had precipitated Jimmy's decision to test out of high school secretly.

He asked Tom about the strange behavior as they walked outside together at the end of the school day.

Tom shrugged. "The teachers are pretty good at spotting that type of behavior quick. And honestly, we're a pretty close-knit community. Most of the kids in the outlying farms go to school here; there's another school in the city, so we don't interact much with those kids. But out here, most of our parents work together on the farms, so we all know each other. There have been a couple incidents over the years, but nothing too bad." He looked over at Jimmy, concerned. "If someone does say or do something, tell Mr. Winters or a teacher, and they'll deal with it immediately."

Jimmy nodded, before saying goodbye and going over to join his cousin, who was standing with Marie, Terry, and Lisa.

The walk home involved much questioning on Jimmy's first day, with Jimmy using more words than he had since his arrival on planet, though it wasn't a lot, by any stretch.

"What's your favorite subject?" Marie asked curiously, wanting to draw her nephew into conversation.

Jimmy bit his lip. "Math and science," he replied, keeping his eyes on the ground ahead of him.

Marie smiled. "That's great. Why do you enjoy them so much?"

Jimmy shrugged. "It's consistent. It makes sense. Two plus two is always going to equal four."

Marie raised an eyebrow. "That's very philosophical."

Jimmy seemed embarrassed now, and they continued the walk home in silence.

**XXX**

The next week passed by easily, and Jimmy was amazed that, not only was he making friends and actually fitting in amongst the other kids, but also that people actually seemed to like him. Tom had become a fast friend, always greeting him with a smile, chattering incessantly about everything that Jimmy had missed since they had parted the day before. It might have annoyed Jimmy, had he not known that his new friend honestly wanted to include him in his life. As it turned out, Tom's parents worked in the same section as Terry in the fields, and Marie and Terry both spoke fondly of the Leightons. They were happy that Jimmy was making friends, and Tom was a good boy, even if they didn't know him that well – he might have been around the same age as Cory, but he was several years ahead of their son in school, so there wasn't much interaction.

The teachers quickly learned that Jimmy Spaulding really didn't need much schooling, so they tended to leave him alone during class. More than one teacher wondered if there was really any point in the kid actually going to school at all.

After a few days, Marie and Terry felt secure enough to let Jimmy and Cory walk to and from school alone – it wasn't something they had considered when it was just Cory, but with two of them, they felt better, especially once Jimmy had walked the route enough times to remember.

It was a little over a week after Jimmy had arrived on planet, when he met someone who would change his life forever. Cory was spending the afternoon with one of his friends, and Tom – who had taken to walking part way home with them, as his house was in the same general direction – had a science project to finish, that required him to stay after school. Jimmy had already finished the assignment, as usual. He never had to spend much time on homework assignments. He was especially enjoying his English Literature class – they were reading Shakespeare. He had joined them as they finished up _Romeo and Juliet_, and now they were working their way through _Hamlet_. Most of the class seemed to think there wasn't much of a point to it, considering the man had lived hundreds of years ago, and wrote in a style that nobody could really understand anymore, but Jimmy loved the action, the intrigue, and most importantly, the sense of nobility and dignity in the writing.

As he was passing a small, modest, one-story white house, he stopped suddenly, hearing what sounded like a curse, but _definitely_ didn't sound like English.

He peered through the hedges lining the small front yard, and saw an older woman struggling to lift something that appeared to have fallen over.

Jimmy didn't hesitate as he immediately hurried over to help.

Once they had fixed what Jimmy could now see was a large barrel that had been partially filled with water, the woman straightened up, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

"Thank you, young man," she said, smiling at the boy who had helped her.

Jimmy nodded, returning the smile with a slight quirk of his lips. The woman once more picked up the hose she had apparently been using to fill the barrel when it had fallen over.

Jimmy hesitated for a moment. He had helped her out, he should probably just leave, but something was stopping him.

The woman looked up from what she was doing. "Well, don't just stand there. Bring me that bag." She nodded at a sack leaning up against the house, and Jimmy hurried to obey.

He spent the rest of the afternoon helping the old woman out; she appeared to be building a new garden, and Jimmy was kept busy spreading soil and transplanting flowers from pots to the ground.

A few hours later, the woman invited him inside for a drink. Well, it wasn't so much an invitation as an order, but Jimmy didn't mind. He was thirsty.

He downed a glass of water in record time, setting the cup on the table as he studied the woman he had spent the afternoon helping. She was older, perhaps around the age his grandparents might have been, were they still alive, or a little older. She appeared to be of Asian descent, and her eyes were sharp as she picked up his empty glass, refilling it and returning it to her young guest.

"Thanks," Jimmy said, sipping from the glass. "I'm Jimmy, by the way."

The woman nodded, smiling. "Hoshi Sato."

Jimmy paused mid-sip, his eyes widening. "No way," he breathed. "Are you the Hoshi Sato who served with Archer on the _Enterprise_?"

Hoshi's smile widened a little, seeing the childlike enthusiasm. She nodded. "I am," she confirmed.

Jimmy's draw dropped a little. "What was the language you were cursing with earlier?" he asked eagerly.

Hoshi chuckled a little. "Klingon," she replied.

"Can you teach me?" Jimmy inquired, almost before she finished speaking.

"Are you interested in xenolinguistics?" Hoshi asked curiously.

Jimmy tilted his head to the side. "Xenolinguistics?" he repeated, sounding out the word.

Hoshi smiled and nodded. "Xenolinguistics. Study of alien languages, morphology, phonology, syntax."

Jimmy shrugged slightly. "Maybe," he hedged. "I think languages are interesting."

Hoshi studied the boy for a moment, thinking. Finally, she nodded. "Vulcan first. If you master that, we'll see."

Jimmy grinned, nodding his agreement.

Hoshi inclined her head once, decisively. "Every day, after school. You miss one day, and we're done. Understood?"

Jimmy nodded again, looking more excited than he had since arriving on planet. "I'll be here, I promise!" he shouted as he grabbed his bag and ran out the door. "You won't be sorry!" echoed behind him as he disappeared down the street.

Hoshi watched him go, still chuckling. She had retired to Tarsus to get some peace and quiet, something she doubted she'd see much of with that kid hanging around now, but there was something about his desire to learn that spoke to her, and made her want to spend some time with him.

_So, for a first chapter, how'd I do? Please let me know what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a note about languages, since it will come up every now and then throughout the story. I don't trust translation sites, and my knowledge of non-English languages is basically limited to high school French, and the ability to count to ten in about fifteen various other languages. Oh, and I can say 'da'. So any foreign languages will be italicized and in quotation marks. It will usually say which language is being spoken, so there should be no confusion.**

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Jimmy was having a great time. For the first time, he had adults in his life that didn't look down on him for being a know-it-all, or just thought he was a waste of space. Marie and Terry were great, and he was starting to realize that they actually genuinely wanted the best for him. They were attentive, and caring, and trying their best to undo nearly ten years of lessons yelled and screamed and beaten into him.

School was going great. The teachers cared, and loved having him in their class. They weren't telling him to shut up, or to stick to the lesson from that day, rather then read ahead. The other kids didn't have any issues working with him or Tom on projects or in class, despite the age difference.

And Hoshi… Jimmy was devouring the lessons on Vulcan. The language itself was exceedingly difficult, and required a lot of attention to detail along with a desire and will to actually become proficient in it. Jimmy could see why Hoshi had decided to start with it, before moving on to Klingon – which definitely had its challenges as well, but it wasn't quite as intricate as the Vulcan language. If he wasn't serious about becoming fluent in another language, he wouldn't last very long. Fortunately for him, his mind was like a sponge, soaking up everything he learned.

Marie and Terry were both relieved and thrilled to see Jimmy opening up, and actually speaking around the house, even if half of what he said was in another language. Tom came over frequently, and the two spent a good deal of time hanging out and doing school work in the living room – or what they assumed was school work, honestly, most of what they overheard was way too complicated for either adult to understand.

A surprise came to their house a few weeks after Jimmy arrived. Terry answered the door after dinner, his expression changing from confusion to surprise, as he stepped back to let two men enter the house.

One of them looked around the house, while the other focused on the kids sitting in the living room. The young girl was playing with some toys on the floor, while the other two were on PADDs.

Both boys looked up at the strangers, while Lisa just kept playing.

"James Spaulding?" one of them asked, as the other focused on the kids as well.

Jimmy's eyes narrowed, as he shut off the PADD in his hands and sat up slightly on the couch. "Yes?" he asked, his voice courteous and guarded.

The other man spoke next. "We've come to bring you an offer from the Governor."

Marie and Terry were both surprised, as was Jimmy. From what he had learned since his arrival, the Governor was a rather secretive man, who spent most of his time in the Governor's Palace, where all the governing of the colony took place. Not many had actually seen the Governor in person, though many said he was a good leader.

"What sort of offer?" Terry asked, speaking for his nephew.

The man who spoke first looked at the adults. "Governor Kodos has heard of your nephew's intelligence. He wishes to get to know the newest addition to our colony." He looked back at Jimmy. "If you are interested, he is willing to spend some time with you each week."

"Doing what, exactly?" Terry voiced, wanting to hear more information.

The second man spoke again. "The Governor wishes to teach Mr. Spaulding a little about government and politics. He feels it may be beneficial to present a well-rounded education."

Terry looked at his nephew. Jimmy looked intrigued by the prospect. Even if Terry had some misgivings, he couldn't deny the boy such an opportunity. "Is this something you want, Jimmy?"

Jimmy nodded eagerly. It sounded like fun, and he really wanted a challenge. As great as his teachers were, and as much as he enjoyed school, he wasn't learning anything new.

The two men left soon enough, after inviting Jimmy to come to the Governor's Palace after school in two days.

Jimmy knew he would need to talk to Hoshi, and restructure their lessons so that he could spend some afternoons in the city, and some with her. He was coming along nicely with the Vulcan language, and was hoping they could begin Klingon soon.

**XXX**

Hoshi was willing to teach him every other day, so twice a week, Jimmy started spending afternoons after school with Governor Kodos. The Governor was a fit man, in his thirties or forties. He seemed eager to spend time with Jimmy, who reveled in the way the Governor made him feel. Kodos treated him as something like a son, always praising him, and teaching him about what it was he did as Governor.

It wasn't all pretty. Jimmy was naturally inquisitive, and when he got bored, he tended to look for something to interest him. He overheard many rather dubious conversations between Kodos and his advisors, or the advisors and the security officers, or any combination thereof.

But he was so happy to have someone that looked at him like a son that he just pushed all of it to the back of his mind and focused on all the new things he was learning about government. In the evening, he would be driven home by a security officer, as it really wasn't feasible for him to walk from the city. It could be done, of course, but no self-respecting adult would expect a twelve year old to make that trek alone, at night.

In a little over two months, Jimmy had mastered Vulcan, and was able to hold an intelligent conversation with Hoshi, as he helped her with various tasks around her house; once Hoshi deemed him 'passable', she agreed to teach him Klingon.

He took to that language nearly as quickly as Vulcan, devouring lessons with a vigor and passion that made Hoshi feel years younger.

He loved spending time with Hoshi, working in her garden and learning Klingon. She was teaching him how to swear now, though she had first extracted a promise that he wouldn't tell his guardians just what it was he was saying when he practiced at home.

It was on his way home from Hoshi's one evening that he, quite by accident, made a new friend.

A muttered curse drew his attention to a secluded park set back from the street, and, curious, he went to investigate.

A teenaged girl was sitting on a bench, a PADD in her hands that seemed to be the root of her troubles.

"Are you all right?" he asked hesitantly, almost regretting that he had spoken at all. He was coming out of his shell, but he still wasn't quite sure of himself just yet.

As the girl looked up, startled, he recognized her as being a year below him in school. He didn't know her name, but he saw her from time to time in the hallways.

The girl shrugged, glaring at the PADD once more. "Just trying to understand Physics," she said flippantly. Her voice had an accent that Jimmy was fairly certain came from the country of Russia on Earth, but he wasn't positive.

Jimmy smiled. "Need some help?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "You understand this?" she asked skeptically.

It was Jimmy's turn to shrug. "A bit," he hedged. Of course, his Bachelor's Degree in Physics would prove that he understood the subject a little more than 'a bit', but he wouldn't tell her that.

He held out a hand for the PADD, which the girl handed over willingly, and then watched in fascination as he began to read what she had been failing at understanding.

"I'm Anya," she introduced herself. "Anya Chekov."

Jimmy glanced up, one side of his mouth lifting in a half-smile. "Jimmy Spaulding," he replied, before going back to reading for another minute or so, before he sat down next to her.

Anya listened with interest and amazement as the boy – who couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen – sat down next to her and proceeded to explain the concepts that so eluded her. He not only understood what she was supposed to be learning, he actually was pretty adept at explaining it in a way she could comprehend.

The two spent an hour sitting on that bench before Jimmy realized how late it was and jumped up, apologizing profusely.

Anya chuckled, taking the PADD back as she stood as well. "It's no problem, Jimmy. I should be thanking you. This is the most confident I've felt in this class all year. I don't suppose you'd be willing to tutor me some more?"

Jimmy bit his lip, considering. "One condition," he finally replied. Anya cocked her head, lifting an eyebrow. Jimmy smiled. "Can you teach me Russian?"

Anya let out a short laugh. "How did you know where I'm from?"

Jimmy shrugged sheepishly. "You've got an accent. And your last name. But mostly, your accent."

Anya laughed again, agreeing instantly, and they made plans to meet at the park over the weekend, before the two separated to their respective houses.

**XXX**

Jimmy was even busier now. He and Anya became good friends very quickly, and Jimmy picked up Russian with alarming speed, resulting in the pair spending many an afternoon discussing Physics, and any other topics that came up, in the language. Anya also joined him and Tom for lunch many days, bringing a few of her friends with her. Jimmy didn't connect to any of them as he had with Anya, though they seemed to be interested in possible tutoring, seemingly not caring that their potential tutors were several years their junior.

It took Jimmy three months to master Klingon, and Hoshi immediately transitioned to Cardassian. Jimmy was now forbidden from speaking English while in her presence. If he had a question about the language he was learning currently, he had to voice it in either Vulcan or Klingon. Although a few times, he chose to use Russian, since he was becoming quite fluent in that language as well. Hoshi was pleased with his progress, and, though she might not actually say it, truly enjoyed having the younger boy around.

Tom and Jimmy had become almost like brothers. They were the youngest ones in their class, and partnered together on most assignments and projects. They frequently went above and beyond the simple school assignments, and were constantly working on their own ventures. Tom was interested in botany and physics, and it wasn't uncommon for the pair to be seen studying the plants outside before and after school, or to be found in the Science lab, working on some new theory.

Anya had taken Jimmy under her wing, telling him that he reminded her of her brother, back in Russia.

"_You're both so smart_," she told him, smiling reminiscently. The two had taken to speaking Russian most of the time, when they were alone. It helped Jimmy learn quicker, and Anya felt somehow closer to home, just using the language. "_And inquisitive. Pavel is always getting his nose stuck in something that doesn't concern him_."

Jimmy smirked. That definitely sounded like him. Too smart for his own good. That's what all his teachers back in Riverside said. "_Why are you here, without your family?_" he asked gently, knowing that she missed her parents and brother.

Anya let out a breathless half laugh. "_I come from a very small town. The closest city is St. Petersburg, but even that's at least an hour away. My parents want me and my brother to get out, to do something with our lives. Pavel… he's clearly going to make something of himself. He was four when I left, but I already knew how exceptional he was. My mother's cousin was moving to Tarsus, so my parents asked me if I would be interested in seeing a bit of the universe_." Anya shrugged. "_I want to explore. I don't want to spend my whole life living in one small town. I'm considering applying to Starfleet in a couple of years, but for now, I'm just living_."

Jimmy nodded understandingly, having to bite his tongue to not comment at the mention of Starfleet. A lifetime's worth of lessons had taught him that Starfleet brought nothing but pain and disappointment.

Anya bumped his shoulder with her own. "_What about you? What do you want to do?"_

Jimmy bit his lip. "_I don't know_," he replied. "_I like science a lot, but I really don't know what I want to do with my life yet._"

Anya laughed. "_Well, you're young. You've got time_." And with that, any serious conversation was over.

Jimmy's afternoons at the Governor's Palace continued to both excite and slightly concern him. He liked learning about politics, and Kodos had become quite a steady parental figure in his life, more and more so as the months passed, but at the same time, he was learning enough to be certain that he never wanted to become a politician. Not with the amount of lying and cheating, and underhanded backroom deals he overheard and observed. Still, Kodos was something of a hero to him. The man had looked at him, and not seen his father's son, the son of a hero – not that he knew he was the son of a Federation hero, but still. Kodos had seen _him_, a brilliant young man, someone worth recognizing in his own right, and Jimmy didn't ever want the feeling of belonging to end. He didn't ever want to let go of the knowledge that someone actually believed in him.

Jimmy's thirteenth birthday came before he even realized it, and he had a nice quiet dinner, with Tom, Anya, and Hoshi the only nonfamily members invited.

Jimmy felt more at home here than he ever had in Riverside. Marie and Terry were the parents he had always wished for, and Cory and Lisa were great. Lisa venerated her older cousin, and more than once, had insisted on accompanying him to the park to meet with Anya for their tutoring sessions. Anya adored the young girl.

While Cory and Jimmy had different friends, Cory still liked hanging out with his cousin, and the two spent many an evening playing outside after dinner, kicking a soccer ball around, or playing catch.

Before Jimmy had even realized it, summer had arrived. He and Tom graduated with high marks, and were faced with a summer free of classes, as they tried to figure out what to do next. Tarsus didn't have any Universities, only a few intensive training programs for anyone interested in doing something other than become a farmer. That was mainly for the kids in the city, who may go on to become security officers, or medical personnel, or the like.

Without school, Jimmy spent most mornings at the Governor's Palace with Kodos, and most afternoons with Hoshi, Tom, Anya, or Cory and Lisa, or any combination thereof.

By the time summer was over, Jimmy had mastered Cardassian, and made a decent start on Orion – both the high and low forms – with Hoshi, and Anya had offered to teach him German, as it was the only other language besides English she knew, and she figured that, since he seemed so eager to learn, he would be interested. Hoshi had also taken over completing Jimmy's education with Andorian – the year of schooling in the language hadn't really done much to teach him, so Hoshi made sure to include lessons in it. It was just shoddy work, after all, to leave a language half-learned.

School started again, though Jimmy, as a now (once again) graduated student, did not have to attend. Lisa, now six years old, was placed into the first year, and happily went off with her brother each morning, eager to spend time with the big kids.

Jimmy continued to go to the Governor's Palace every morning, where Kodos was now beginning to ask him what he wanted to do with his life. To Jimmy, it seemed as if the Governor wanted him to work for him, something Jimmy was interested in; he liked the way Kodos made him feel. Like he was _important_. Like he was special.

Tom came over regularly, and the pair continued to conduct their own experiments. Just because they had graduated didn't mean they had to stop learning.

Before Jimmy even realized it, he had been on Tarsus a year. On the anniversary of his arrival, Marie and Terry had a little family party, complete with a cake. Jimmy spent most of the day alternating between happiness and depression. He was thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful family, but he was depressed to realize that, in the last year, he could probably count on one hand the number of times he had actually thought about his mother and brother. Frank just wasn't worth thinking about, at all.

He wondered what it meant, that his mother was so far from his thoughts. She hadn't contacted him once since he had come to live with her sister. Actually, he didn't think he had really spoken to her since her last shore leave, about five months before Sam had left and he had driven his dad's car off the cliff. What did it say about him, that he didn't even miss her? Could he miss what he had never really had?

These thoughts ate up the majority of his evening, and when Marie came to visit him that night, sensing his torn attention, she found him lying on his back on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling with a contemplative expression on his face.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy jerked slightly, looking over at his aunt, startled.

Marie smiled softly, entering the room and sitting down on the edge of the bed. Jimmy sat up, leaning against the headboard as he focused on his aunt.

"Is everything all right, Jimmy? You seemed a little distracted at dinner." Marie studied him, concerned.

Jimmy shrugged, biting his lip as he looked down at his lap. "I was just…" he trailed off for a moment, before he looked back up, his eyes shining a little with held-back tears. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Marie leaned back slightly, startled. "What do you mean?" she asked, worried. "There's nothing wrong with you."

Jimmy's eyes were pleading, as he let out everything he had been mulling over all day. "She hasn't commed once. I haven't even spoken to her in a year and a half. Why does she hate me so much?"

He was almost crying now, and completely ashamed. He knew his mother hated him. She hated that he had lived, and his father hadn't. She hated that he looked so much like her dead husband. She hated that he acted so much like his dead father. But knowing didn't make it hurt any less.

Marie started crying as well, as she suddenly understood. Jimmy hadn't spoken much about it over the last year, but she knew her sister was hurting the boy with her absence.

She leaned over to give her nephew a hug. "Oh, sweetie. My sister has her own problems, but none of it is your fault." She pulled back, but kept contact, smoothing his hair down and resting her hands on his shoulders. "People deal with grief in different ways. Winona's hurting, but that doesn't mean she should take it out on you."

Jimmy nodded, though his eyes clearly said that it didn't help. Marie didn't know what else she could do, besides grasp him once more in a tight hug and let him cry himself to sleep.

Once he had tired himself out, she lay him gently down and covered him with a blanket and kissed his forehead, wiping a few drying tears off his cheeks, before quietly exiting the bedroom.

She had to take a moment in the hallway to compose herself, before she felt able to head to her own bedroom. Her heart ached for her young nephew. He may be a genius, but he was still just a kid. He didn't deserve this. Nobody deserved this.

Terry may not have understood why his wife was so upset, but he dutifully hugged her as she slipped into bed, and let her get out all of her tears.

**XXX**

Jimmy gave no indication that he remembered his slight breakdown the next morning, and following his lead, Marie didn't mention it either.

He continued to spend his days as he normally did, at the Governor's Palace, and with his friends. Tom and Anya were his closest ones, but there were other kids he hung out with, from time to time.

The seasons changed once more, as Jimmy mastered both Orion and Andorian, and made a decent start on one of the three Romulan dialects, under Hoshi's tutelage.

Anya pronounced him fluent in German just after the New Year, though that didn't stop them from hanging out. Jimmy may have helped her greatly to better understand science, but she still needed all the help she could get.

As winter deepened and then thawed, Jimmy continued to have more fun than he would have thought possible, when living with his asshole of a stepfather.

Spring came again, and with it, Jimmy's fourteenth birthday. His party was once more just a small gathering, as Jimmy told his aunt and uncle that he didn't want them to make a big deal out of it. So like the year before, it was just Tom, Anya, and Hoshi having dinner with Jimmy and his family.

As it began to warm up, Tom and Jimmy had an idea for a new project to work on, and threw themselves into it with gusto. It involved studying the local plants to determine growth rates, and how they differed from the plants on Earth.

"Hey, Tom, take a look at this."

Jimmy moved over to give his friend some space, as the other boy looked through the viewfinder of the microscope at the plant they were currently studying. He frowned and adjusted the viewfinder, trying to focus it more. Pulling back as the image became clearer, he looked at Jimmy with alarm. "That looks like…"

He trailed off, and Jimmy nodded, biting his lip. "We should tell someone, right?"

Tom tilted his head, considering. "It could just be this one plant," he pointed out. "There's no need to get everyone worked up over one infected plant, right?"

Jim agreed, if a little hesitantly. "Let's find some other specimens and compare, before we do anything else."

With that consensus, the two boys went back to where they had found the plant they were studying, and pulled a few more samples.

By the end of the afternoon, both were fairly certain that they would need to tell someone. Not only had they found the same fungus attacking all of their other samples, the speed at which the plants seemed to be dying was alarming.

So the next morning, Jimmy immediately went to Kodos, telling him what they had discovered.

Kodos listened tentatively, and nodded as Jimmy finished. "Thank you for telling me, Jimmy. I'll take care of everything."

Jimmy smiled in relief, and the two moved on to other topics.

Over the next few weeks, Jimmy watched and waited, but he didn't hear anything more on the fungus, or what Kodos was doing to help. He was a little concerned, but he trusted Kodos, and if he said he would take care of it, he would.

He overheard a few whispered conversations between his aunt and uncle, but he didn't say anything, even when he noticed meals getting lighter.

It wasn't until almost six weeks after Jimmy spoke with Kodos that things became apparent. The fungus had hit, hard and fast, and in less than a week, destroyed most of the fields and surrounding areas. It hit food supplies next, rendering their stores inedible. Meals got even lighter, and Jimmy, with his genius brain, registered the way his aunt and uncle would eat much less, in order to give the kids more.

Jimmy tried not to let himself worry. Kodos had said he was taking care of it. The one time he had tried to bring it up, the governor had gotten annoyed, and told him to keep his nose out of it. In that split second, Jimmy was reminded of his stepfather, Frank, and vowed not to ask Kodos again. Kodos was his hero. Kodos cared about him. Kodos loved him. Kodos was nothing like Frank, and Jimmy would never do anything to draw that comparison again.

A few days later, Hoshi pulled Jimmy inside after a lesson on Romulan. He had mastered the first dialect amazingly fast, and they were currently working on the second one. She switched to Klingon, knowing that, even if someone was listening in, they wouldn't understand. She knew she was the only one on the planet who spoke the harsh language; as rare as it might be, there were one or two who knew scattered words in Vulcan, Cardassian, and the others she had taught Jimmy. Better to be safe than sorry.

She hunted around in a hidden drawer in her desk for a moment, as Jimmy watched, confused. Pulling out what she had been looking for, she turned back to face her pupil. _"Jimmy, things are happening. I can't explain it all to you now, but just know that things are going to get bad. I want you to be careful."_

Jimmy bit his lip, studying the older woman. She looked nervous, as she grasped something in her hands tightly. He shook his head. "_Kodos said he'd take care of everything,_" he objected, obligingly switching languages.

Hoshi leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "_Jimmy, you're a smart boy. Please, use your brain, and don't just trust blindly._" She held out the device in her hands. It was a communicator. "_If necessary, you should be able to use this to contact Starfleet. Please, keep it on you at all times. I don't know what's going to happen, but you need to keep yourself safe. Just be careful. Promise me!"_

Jimmy looked dubious, but he promised readily enough, and stuck the communicator in his bag as he said goodbye and headed for home.

Dinner that night was eaten in silence, and was little more than a few canned goods that hadn't been hit by the fungus. Jimmy spent the meal studying everyone sitting at the table. He truly loved living here. He loved being a part of a family. He loved mattering to people. But like Hoshi had warned him, he knew that things wouldn't stay the same. This fungus would change everything.

**XXX**

The next morning, Jimmy passed up breakfast in order to get to the Palace as quickly as possible. Hoshi's words from the previous afternoon wouldn't leave him alone, so he obligingly put the communicator in his shoulder bag and carried it with him, making his way to the city as quickly as possible. He needed to talk to Kodos, to find out what was going on. He had told the Governor about the fungus weeks ago. Why had everything gotten worse?

Jimmy arrived at the Palace earlier than he usually showed up, and was about to go find a security officer or advisor, when some instinct told him to slow down and think. He trusted Kodos, but he couldn't get Hoshi's warning out of his mind.

So instead of heading towards the suite of offices where he usually spent his mornings, he moved to the right, and headed down an out of the way corridor. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but as naturally inquisitive as he was, he was certain he'd find something.

He was right. A level down from the ground floor and main entrance, Jimmy, quite by accident, stumbled upon a conversation that set alarm bells ringing. Two security officers were speaking with Kodos in hushed tones. Jimmy kept out of sight, listening to the voices coming from just around the corner.

Dread curling in his stomach, he processed the words in a detached sort of manner. He couldn't catch all of it, but he heard various pieces of sentences; phrases like, "keep them contained," "get it done by the end of the day," and "keep the valued members out of the way until it's done."

Feeling like nothing good could come of those words, Jimmy backed away quietly, making sure he was out of earshot before he quickened his pace, heading towards an office he knew was nearby, and empty most of the time.

Once inside the empty room, Jimmy closed the door and locked it, keeping himself alert as he quickly fired up the computer console; with a few knowledgeable keystrokes, and a few touches of the screen, Jimmy hacked his way into the system, and from there, it was only a few seconds more before he was looking at Kodos' personal files.

Jimmy leaned back sharply in surprise as he came across one file in particular. He read a few paragraphs, and then swiped over to find several lists. Skimming down the pages as quickly as he could, the dread in his stomach felt like it had turned to lead. He jumped a little, hearing a sound coming from down the hall, so he quickly deleted the evidence of his being there and closing out of the computer hurriedly, and, listening at the door before he opened it, once more stepping into the hallway.

With no time to spare, Jimmy darted down the corridor, making for an out of the way exit he knew to be closer, and less observed, than the front entrance.

He had to hide in an empty room once, to let a trio of security officers pass by, but fortunately, he was able to escape the Palace without anyone being the wiser.

Once he was back in the city, Jimmy began an all out sprint, running as fast as he could back towards the small homestead he had lived in with his aunt, uncle, and cousins for the last year and a half.

He was distracted on his way back. Smoke was coming from Hoshi's windows, and Jimmy stopped, alarmed, as he quickly moved off the road and into the house.

He didn't have to look far. Hoshi was lying face up in the living room. Every cupboard and pantry door in the kitchen was open, and anything edible gone.

Jimmy barely paid any attention to the ransacked kitchen, and immediately went to his teacher's side. Hoshi was alive, barely. A dribble of blood was leaking from her mouth and chin, making its way down her cheek and getting lost in her hair, which had come out of her usually tight and pristine bun.

A quick glance around the room showed it to be the location of a rather impressive fight. The coffee table was turned over, as was the couch, and two chairs were in pieces, scattered around the room.

Hoshi gasped, and Jimmy leaned closer, grasping her hand tightly, a few tears threatening to escape.

Hoshi was now crying as well, as she managed to focus on her young pupil. Even so close to the end – and Jimmy did know that there was nothing he could do for her, except be there – she still managed to speak flawless Vulcan. "_Jimmy. Leave. Now."_

Jimmy shook his head, the tears now escaping his eyes and running down his cheeks. "_Hoshi. Please."_

Hoshi interrupted, coughing weakly. "_Jimmy, you have to go. There's no time. Just promise me you'll live. You have to survive."_

Jimmy nodded, and Hoshi settled down a bit, relaxing, even as her mouth curved in a slight smile. A few seconds later, she was gone.

Jimmy sniffed, squeezing her hand once, before he set it back down on the ground, wiping his eyes with his other hand as he stood up.

Grabbing his shoulder bag, Jimmy wasted no more time in continuing on to his aunt and uncle's house. He barely noticed the sign that had been tacked to the front door of Hoshi's home.

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: not mine **

He was too late.

There was smoke coming from the window of the living room. Jimmy quickened his pace, running through the open front door, and letting out a half gasp, half wail at the sight of his aunt and uncle, dead on the floor of the kitchen. Just like Hoshi's house, the pantry and cupboards had all been raided, and everything of value taken.

His heart pounding, Jimmy listened carefully, searching for any sign that the people who had done this were still present.

There was nothing, so he called out softly, "Cory? Lisa?" He then fell silent once more, hoping and praying to hear his cousins' replies.

A muffled thump came from upstairs, so Jimmy immediately headed in that direction, taking the stairs two at a time.

He found his cousins hiding in Cory's closet. There was a small cupboard at the back, hidden by clothes. Cory had shown it to him a while back, loving that he had a little hidey-hole to play in. Jimmy was never more thankful for that small cupboard than now. Cory was holding Lisa tightly, and the six-year-old girl had her head buried in her brother's shoulder, trying desperately not to make any noise.

Cory flinched and looked up, the relief spreading quickly across his face when he recognized his cousin crouching in front of him.

Jimmy didn't make any noise, as he hurriedly gestured for his cousins to exit the closet. Cory did so willingly, holding Lisa to his chest. His eyes were pleading, but he made no sound, and simply watched as Jimmy put a finger to his lips, and then picked up a bag off the floor, throwing a few articles of clothing into it, before he led the two younger children to Lisa's room, where he repeated the process.

The next stop was Jimmy's room – he didn't have much, but he packed a few shirts and pants, along with a blanket into his shoulder bag, dumping out everything except for the communicator Hoshi had given him to give him more room. He would have time later – hopefully – to use it, to get someone who could help, but for right now, they were alone, and he needed to get his cousins to safety. Hopefully, he could find his other friends as well.

On their way downstairs, Jimmy quietly told Cory to take Lisa and wait by the door. Cory almost protested, but a look from Jimmy deterred him; he didn't want to be separated from his cousin, but something in the older boy's gaze told him there was probably a good reason for it.

Indeed, Jimmy didn't want Cory and Lisa to see their parents, still lying dead in the kitchen. He searched around, trying to avoid looking at the couple that had been so much more than just an aunt and uncle to him, but the soldiers who had done this had taken pretty much everything that was edible with them. Jimmy was able to find a few things hidden in the back of the pantry, which he added to his bag quickly, before he went back to his cousins.

Lisa was still crying silently, and Cory looked to be in a state of shock. Jimmy glanced around, and noticed the sign tacked to their door. A proclamation. Condemning them to death. He gulped, but grasped Cory's arm and led him and Lisa away from the house. No one said anything as the trio all but ran towards the mountains, away from the city, away from the farms and the fields. In his and Tom's exploring, they had found an out of the way cave up there, and had outfitted it as sort of a fort, bringing blankets, and a lantern or two. It would make for a good place to hide out, until they could figure out what was going on, and how to stop it.

It was strange, Jimmy would reflect later, how in periods of crisis, time always seemed to progress in slow motion. The sun had barely moved its position in the sky when Jimmy led his cousins to the cave.

He pulled them towards the back, before he set down his bag and indicated for Cory to do the same. Looking at Cory, he sighed, biting his lip. "Stay here," he implored them. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Cory asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. He had no idea what was going on. A loud crash from downstairs had interrupted him while he had been doing his homework, and a few moments later, his mother had thrust Lisa into his arms, telling them to hide, and to not come out no matter what. He was stuck upstairs, hearing everything, but unable to move. And then Jimmy had been there. He still didn't know what was going on, but he trusted his cousin to keep them safe. It was an unspoken thought, this last year and a half, but somehow, he just knew that his cousin was really much older than him, for all there was only a year of actual age between the two. Jimmy had lived much more than him, and if anyone could protect him and Lisa, it would be Jimmy.

Jimmy wrapped his arm around Cory, and then Lisa, hugging them both tightly. Pulling back, his gaze hardened. "I don't have time to explain everything now, Cory, but promise me you'll stay here." He waited for the younger boy to nod, before he left, with a parting, "There's enough food to get you through the day and probably tomorrow, if necessary." Cory looked like he wanted to protest again, but Jimmy just shook his head. "There's no time, Cory. I don't know how long I'll be gone, so please just listen to me."

Cory nodded hesitantly, and Jimmy wasted no time in departing. Once clear of the cave, he switched to an all out sprint, running as fast as he could back towards the farmland he had come to think of as home over the last year and a half.

His first thought was to see if the Leightons were all right. He knew where Tom lived, so he headed in that direction, stumbling as he noticed the smoke coming in waves ahead of him. Most of the houses in the area were burning, and a few soldiers were coming out of one of them. Jimmy ducked down, heading for the fields to hide.

It was sheer luck that he actually found his best friend.

Tom was hiding in the fields, surrounded by dead and decaying plant life. He jumped about a mile when Jimmy put a hand on his shoulder, but relaxed when he saw whom it was behind him.

Jimmy put a finger to his lips, crouching down and observing his friend. There was a wild fear in Tom's eyes, panic at what was going on, and why.

Jimmy shook his head slightly, telling Tom not to ask. It wasn't safe just yet. Instead, he put his mouth to Tom's ear, and spoke, his voice just barely audible. "Is there anyone else hiding nearby?" he breathed.

Tom bit his lip, looking around. He nodded, just once. "I saw a few kids heading for the fields." His voice was just as quiet.

Jimmy looked around, trying to see if anyone was visible. "Come on," he said distractedly, leading Tom through the tall grass.

The two fourteen year olds searched for several hours, and were rewarded when they found more kids hiding.

Jimmy didn't know all of them, and the names of his friends still unaccounted for weighed heavily on his mind as they indicated for the others to follow them.

Even through the grief, Jimmy was exceedingly glad that Anya was among one of the six that they had found.

A shout from behind them caused all to look, and then panic, as the fields began to smoke, the dry plants incinerating in the fire that had been started with alarming speed.

Jimmy got them all to follow him, as they quickly ran towards the mountains.

Cory and Lisa were waiting, and Lisa wasted no time in throwing herself into her cousin's arms, crying fiercely.

Jimmy comforted her as best he could, before he passed her off to her brother, who was looking very relieved to have Jimmy back.

"What's going on?" came from several of the kids he and Tom had led here.

Jimmy bit his lip, turning to face the group. He and Tom shared a glance. "I'm not really sure," Jimmy replied quietly, looking down briefly at his lie, before his gaze returned to the group. He didn't have time right now to think about what he had read in Kodos' files. There were more important things to worry about. "I need to get back to the city, to get more information. You'll all be safe here, so please, don't leave."

"I'm going with you," Tom said decisively.

Jimmy almost protested, but decided against it, as he knew his friend wouldn't leave him alone. So he just nodded, resigned. "Anya, you're in charge." The girl in question nodded, not even realizing that she was actually taking orders from a fourteen year old. None of them really thought about it – Jimmy had a reassuring presence, and those that knew him trusted him to lead them. Those that didn't, just trusted his steady calm.

"Who are you?"

That came from one of the kids he didn't know. When he studied the group, he realized that he actually knew only two of them – not counting Tom and his cousins. Anya, and one of her friends, April, had been hiding near Anya's homestead. The other four kids were strangers. Two of them appeared to be human, while one seemed to be Andorian, and another… well, Jim wasn't sure where she was from, but her skin was a pale blue, her eyes almost catlike and amber. He thought she may be Deltan, but he wasn't positive.

"We'll do introductions later," he decided, glancing at the cave's entrance. Looking back, he made a decision. Everything would change, and if what seemed to be happening was actually happening, it would be better if no one referred to him by his name. For the moment, Jimmy Spaulding should cease to exist. It would be safer. It was a good thing he had been so insistent on hiding his last name. Heaven forbid if Kodos realized that he actually had the son of a Federation hero in his grasp.

"Just call me JT." With that, he nodded to Tom, and the two teenagers ran out of the cave.

They made good time to the city, arriving before the afternoon was half gone.

The streets were silent, and made Jimmy's stomach curl with dread. A muted sound seemed to be coming from the city square, so the two boys headed in that direction.

Jimmy knew an out of the way entrance to the square, so they skirted around the main street, and headed around to the side, avoiding the guards he knew would be posted at the most likely position.

There was one guard at the out of the way entrance he knew, and Jimmy, brain churning along much quicker than most, located a large rock off to the side. He picked it up, and with an almost regretful sigh, threw it with deadly accuracy at the guard's head.

The man dropped to the ground, and Jimmy and Tom crept closer.

The square was packed, filled with nervous townspeople. Younger kids were crying, unsuccessfully comforted by their parents. Around the perimeter, guards were stationed, phasers clearly visible in their hands.

The city was equipped with a rather impressive speaker system, so that announcements could be made to the inhabitants when necessary. Over that sound system, a crackling voice was heard.

Jimmy gulped. He recognized Kodos' voice.

"_The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV._"

Pandemonium ensued. Adults were now screaming along with the children. People were running left and right, as the guards began to fire into the crowd.

Jimmy and Tom immediately burst into action. Tom grabbed a nearby kid, approximately their age, and threw him towards the now clear exit, telling him hurriedly to wait outside, and keep out of sight.

Both teenagers grabbed as many kids as they could; a few adults realized what they were doing, and thrust their own children in the direction of the two boys, sobbing for them to get out.

Eventually, Jimmy knew that they couldn't stay any longer if they wanted to make it out themselves, so he directed Tom back to the exit, barely stopping to pick up a young boy who was still clasped in his mother's arms; the boy was crying, clearly trying to wake up his mother. The woman was staring ahead, her sightless eyes almost pleading in death.

Outside the square, Jimmy and Tom quickly found the kids they had already sent to relative safety, and with a few hushed words, led them down the silent streets out of the city. Behind them, they could hear the cries of the inhabitants, less and less noise being made as the minutes passed and fewer civilians were left alive.

Nobody spoke until they were beyond the oppressing buildings and dangerous surroundings. Once they had put some distance between them and what seemed to have become a kill box, Jimmy had them all stop and rest for a few minutes. He himself was exhausted from the day's events, and not everyone could hold a flat out sprint for so long without resting.

He set the boy he was still carrying down, and looked at the group in front of him. Several were crying, while others simply looked terrified. Most looked to be his age or younger, though there were one or two who seemed to be older.

Jimmy looked back in the direction of the city. No one appeared to be following them, which was good. He turned back to the other kids. They were all watching him and Tom now, their expressions clearly saying they trusted the two fourteen year olds to see them through this.

"Is everyone all right?" he asked, still keeping his voice quiet.

There were nods all around, and Jimmy turned to look at Tom, who had also had a passenger – in his arms was a toddler. Tom didn't say anything, but he continued to make soothing sounds to the small girl he was carrying.

Jimmy and Tom shared a significant look, before he focused back on the other kids, none of whom he knew. "We need to keep moving. This is Tom, and I'm… JT." It would take some time to get used to thinking of himself as something other than Jimmy, but until this mess was over, it was safer if Jimmy Spaulding disappeared. "We'll have a chance to explain later, but for right now, you need to follow us. We've got a safe place to stay."

With that, he picked up the boy he had been carrying, and proceeded to lead the group back to the cave.

Once back in the relative safety that their hideout provided them, Jimmy instructed everyone to take a seat.

The kids all gathered towards the back of the cave. Jimmy set the boy he was carrying down on one of the makeshift beds that he and Tom had set up, so long ago. Tom also set down the girl he had carried away from the city, and everyone else spread out around them.

The first thing they all did was make introductions. Jimmy – no, he was JT now – committed each and every name and face to memory.

All told, there were twenty-one of them, including Jim – no, _JT_. Anya, at seventeen, was the oldest, along with her friend April. Those two, plus Tom, Cory, and Lisa, were the only ones who knew his real name, so Jimmy made a mental note to speak with them soon about not telling anyone what they knew.

The kid he had plucked from his mother's grasp back in the city square introduced himself, sniffling and crying, as Kevin, and when asked how old he was, the boy held up one hand, five fingers clearly displayed.

JT smiled reassuringly, and let the clearly distraught boy climb into his lap, where he snuggled down, sticking his thumb in his mouth, taking reassurance from the teenager who had saved him.

The girl Tom had carried was barely able to talk in coherent sentences, but she at least knew her name, Jenny. JT and Tom estimated her to be about three.

Aside from those, there were Cory, who introduced both himself and Lisa, who had cried herself to sleep while waiting for her cousin to return; eleven year old Marcus; Sha'al, an Andorian who was the equivalent of twelve Terran years; Roan, a ten year old; seven year old Matt; Sven and Callen, twin nine year olds; thirteen year old Sean; Rose, who didn't know how old she was, but seemed to be about the same age as Jenny, perhaps a year older; Navan, whom JT thought may be Deltan; Kieran, a fifteen year old; Percival, sixteen; Trina, a Capellan of an unknown age, though she appeared to have the same mental acuity as Sven and Callen; and five year old Diana.

Once the introductions were over, JT tried to explain what was going on, wanting to skip over what the city kids had experienced, but needing the ones he and Tom had found first to understand the situation.

"All the plants are dead or dying," he summarized succinctly. "Kodos has decided that his only option is to kill half the colony, so that the other half can live."

There were several gasps. Matt was the one to speak. "So… we're supposed to be dead." Perhaps not the most eloquent of ways to put it, but true, nonetheless.

JT nodded grimly. "Our best chance is to stay together. This cave is out of the way enough that no one should find us." He sighed. He really had no idea what he was doing, but for the moment, everyone was looking to him to lead, so until he got that sorted out, he would do his best. "We're all tired, so let's get some sleep for now. We'll figure things out in the morning."

Everyone nodded, some more hesitantly than others, and pretty much all curled up where they were sitting. They were all virtually strangers, for the most part, but happenstance had thrust them all together, and they would need to depend on each other, to survive.

"Anya?" JT's quiet call pulled the seventeen year old away from the group. He looked pointedly in April's direction, and, understanding, the girl tugged her friend's arm, drawing her attention.

Cory also separated, laying his sister down on the ground before he moved over to join his cousin by the cave's entrance.

JT looked around at the people surrounding him, and sighed again. He had been doing that a lot lately. "You guys are the only ones who know my real name, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything."

"Why not?" April asked curiously, looking at the kid in front of her. She didn't know him all that well, but he and his friend Tom had been very useful as tutors last year. She had different difficulties than her friend Anya. She had no problems with science, it was her English Literature class that was – had been – destroying her. Jimmy – no, _JT_ now – was a veritable mine of information, especially when it came to Shakespeare.

JT bit his lip, unsure of how to respond. He really didn't want people to know the real reason, but they all deserved something for keeping their silence.

Tom leaned forward. "It's because of Kodos, isn't it?" JT looked up, surprised. Tom shrugged. "You've been going to the Palace multiple times a week for the last year and a half, almost. There's more going on than what you told us all, isn't there?"

JT nodded hesitantly, but his eyes were pleading, begging his friend not to ask.

Luckily, Tom was pretty smart. "I won't ask, JT," he assured. "And I won't use your name. I trust you."

Anya and Cory agreed as well.

April was more hesitant, but after everyone else acquiesced, she also went along. "I won't pretend to understand why, but you saved us, and I have a feeling we have no choice but to trust you."

JT shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not the leader, here," he protested. "Anya, April, you guys are the oldest…"

Anya shook her head now, overriding his protests. "JT, age doesn't matter. You saved all of us. You and Tom. Face it, you're in charge."

JT sighed, uncomprehending, but accepting.

Next to him, Cory smiled. "Captain JT," he proclaimed. "And First Officer Tom, right?"

Tom nodded, agreeing, as he and JT shared a glance.

JT shook his head again, this time more in exasperation. "Fine," he grumbled. "Then I'm going to need a CMO. April, you up for it?"

April nodded, smiling. She had been interested in pursuing medicine as a career, upon her graduation at the end of the year. That might never happen now, but she could at least use what she knew to help their motley crew.

JT turned to Anya and Cory in turn, thinking things over. If they were going to do this, they may as well go all out. "Cory, you're Operations Manager, and Anya… Communications?"

Corry smiled, and Anya shrugged. "You know more languages then I do, JT, but sure."

JT shrugged. "So be a liaison between us and the other kids. If there's a problem or an issue, if anyone needs something, tell us so that we can fix it."

Anya nodded, and the small group – the command crew – shared a grin.

"You should get some sleep. I'll keep watch," JT implored.

Everyone but Tom agreed. Cory paused before he headed back to his sister. "I'll make sure Lisa knows not to use your real name," he promised. JT nodded his thanks.

When it was just him and Tom, JT raised an eyebrow. Tom shrugged. "You shouldn't keep watch alone. I'll stay up as well."

JT figured he probably didn't have a choice, so he settled back at the cave's entrance, and watched as the evening deepened into night.

The pair sat there in silence, watching the stars appear. It was late night, early morning, when Tom finally spoke. "I know you know more than you're saying, JT. I won't press, but just know that I'm here."

JT nodded thankfully. He didn't speak for a full five minutes, and when he did, his voice was quiet and filled with pain. "I saw the lists." Tom jerked, looking over at his friend. JT looked back, his eyes tearing up a little. "Both of them. He had two lists, one for those who would live, and one…"

"One for the dead," Tom finished, his voice barely above a whisper.

JT nodded miserably. "There was more, but please don't ask… maybe later, but now…"

Tom reached over and grasped his friend's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "Whenever you're ready," he assured the other boy. He really wanted to know more, but he wouldn't press. What he was most interested in was what list JT was on, but he wouldn't bring it up. He would wait for JT to come to him. He wondered if his friend would ever actually tell him what list he had been on. With the rest of them, it was pretty obvious, but JT had spent so much time with Kodos, Tom couldn't help but wonder…

The rest of the night passed in silence.

JT finally had time to think about what he had found in Kodos' personal files. More than the two lists, there were detailed plans. Kodos had used those six weeks since Jimmy had told him about the fungus he and Tom had found – he was thankful now, that he had left his friend's name out of it, when talking to the Governor. It meant that Kodos wasn't paying any special attention to Tom now. JT had seen the Governor's eugenics plan, and his ideas for creating a super colony based on those eugenics. What scared him the most, though, was the whole document about him. Kodos had had plans for him, and that freaked him out. What he didn't want to tell Tom was that he actually wasn't on either list. His name was listed under 'special handling'; Kodos hadn't written down everything he was thinking about JT, but what he had read, had told him that the Governor wanted to deal with him, personally.

It was as morning was threatening to dawn that JT remembered the communicator he had stuffed in his bag.

He quickly got up and extracted the device from his bag, returning to Tom and the cave's entrance before he attempted to use it.

The communicator made a spitting noise, but remained dark. He furrowed his brow, and tried again.

Nothing.

Tom looked on, watching, waiting.

Finally, JT looked up, his expression bleak. "Hoshi gave this to me, told me to use it to get help. But it's not working. I don't know…"

Tom shifted closer. "We'll figure something out, JT. Together."

JT's face cleared slightly. "Together," he agreed.

Tom smiled. "Hey, as First Officer, it's my job to stand next to you."

JT smiled as well, and put the communicator away, as the kids began to stir, some waking up, others on their way to doing so.

Once everyone was awake, JT got out the few packets of food he had managed to rescue from his aunt and uncle's house, and rationed them out. It was barely enough for all of them, so JT knew he would need to venture out to find more today.

As everyone ate, he filled them in on what had been decided the night before. A few of the older kids looked like they might protest at the leadership divisions, and question why they didn't have any such roles themselves, but JT didn't give them a chance, as he knew what needed to be done. "Does anyone else here have any sort of experience with medicine?" he asked. Not one of them was over seventeen, but he knew that if things stayed the way they were for much longer, they would definitely need doctors amongst them.

Kieran raised his hand hesitantly. "My dad is… was… a doctor," he said quietly, somberly, voice laced with pain. He had seen his father fall, throwing himself in front of a phaser to save his son.

JT nodded, smiling slightly. "Will you help April then?" Kieran agreed, smiling a little at the older girl.

JT moved on to other areas they would need covered. "Anyone have experience as a Scout, or know how to track and move about stealthily?"

A few hands went up, from Sean, Cory, Marcus, and Sven and Callen, the twins. JT thought the last two might be a little young, but then, so were they all. He nodded again. "We're going to need to do some scouting, and figure out how to get food, so I'll need all your help."

When everyone was done eating, he called for everyone over the age of twelve to gather around him. Sha'al joined them as well, as he figured she was the equivalent of twelve years of age. She didn't appear to speak much English, so JT was glad that Hoshi had completed his education in Andorian – a wave of grief crashed down on him briefly as he thought about his older friend, but he ruthlessly squashed it down, and turned to the problem at hand.

When Sha'al voiced a hesitant query in her native language, speaking quietly and not really expecting an answer, JT responded in kind, and gave himself a mental pat on the back at the way the girl's face lit up at hearing her own language.

"I'm hoping that we can all work together to get out of this," he implored, focusing on each of them in turn. "I'm speaking with all of you because you're the oldest. We've got some really young kids here, and they're going to be scared. The best we can do is to keep them calm. Can you do that?"

"How?" Percival asked curiously.

JT shrugged. "Games, stories, anything to keep them quiet. I'm not going to lie, things are going to get really dangerous. We're all scared, but we need to be strong for the younger kids."

Percival nodded his agreement. "I'll take charge of the younger ones," he volunteered. "I have..." he looked down. "…_had_… several younger siblings. I'm pretty good with kids."

JT reached out and rested a hand on Percival's arm, squeezing reassuringly. "Thanks, Percival," he said comfortingly, not pressing for details, trying not to feel guilt that he had saved the sixteen year old, but not his siblings.

The older boy looked up, smiling slightly. "Percy," he corrected.

JT nodded again, before he stood up. "Sean, Tom, Marcus, you're with me. We're going to find some food and hopefully medical supplies. Anya, you're in charge until we get back."

Everyone nodded their agreement, before JT left with his two companions, and the others went back to the rest of the group.

_I promise, Percival was not named for the third Weasley brother. It just popped into my head and felt right. Any names you might recognize just felt right, and have nothing to do with any characters from TV shows, movies, or books._

_Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm hoping that the fact that the last chapter only got one review is because people were away for the holidays, and not because you don't like the story. I really enjoy hearing what you all think, and if you have suggestions, I do listen to my reviewers - a lot of the time, your comments shape my stories. So please tell me!**

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Within the first week of forced exile, a pattern was set. JT would go out at least every other day, sometimes more frequently, with one or two of the others, to find food, and if possible, medical supplies. Never enough for what they actually needed, but it would have to do. The best they were able to find for medical supplies were a few half filled first aid kits from various remains of houses. Most of the city was left untouched, but it was usually too dangerous for them to venture so close to the area. JT was unwilling to risk it unless there was no other choice. Instead, they targeted recently built food stores on the outskirts of the city, hitting in the middle of the night, avoiding patrols when they could, and dealing with them when they couldn't. JT was good at sneaking and fighting, and he taught the others some survival skills that kept them alive and unhurt through each encounter with a patrol. He had no formal training of course, but he had been fighting to live his whole life.

April, though inexperienced, did well in her capacity as CMO, ensuring that everyone ate something, as much as they were able, and dealing with the minor injuries that cropped up, cuts and scrapes that they collected while gathering food, and on run ins with guards.

Anya was the one who served as a link between the younger kids and the command crew. She told JT of any issues so that he was able to fix it, and thanks to her, they were able to avoid any major fights.

As the Operations Manager, Cory spent a good deal of time with JT, planning raids on homesteads and food storages, and scouting trips to ensure they were not caught unaware by any patrols that were in the area.

Months passed both too slowly and too quickly. Luckily, very few arguments broke out amongst the kids. JT knew it was because they all knew they needed each other. They were all too young, and keeping calm and quiet was a difficult task, especially for hours on end. He and the other older kids would make up stories, or engage them in games, anything to keep them from thinking about their current situation. JT had even taken to quoting Shakespeare plays and sonnets, some of which the others knew or recognized, but many they did not. It seemed he had a quote for everything, and would often talk about different plays, relating them in such a way that the entire group was entranced. It was much easier to get into the material when it wasn't written in such a hard-to-read format. The way JT described it, even those who had had to suffer through some of Shakespeare's work were listening with bated breath.

When he wasn't searching for food, scouting the area, planning with the other members of his command crew, or keeping the younger kids occupied, JT fiddled with the communicator Hoshi had given him. It still wouldn't work, no matter how much he tried. He had taken apart the device, rewired it, and put it back together, multiple times, but still nothing. He managed to get it to turn on after a couple weeks of work, but even after that, he still couldn't get a message out.

Tom sat down next to him, interrupting his focus. He didn't say anything, just smiled softly, and turned back to look at the other kids.

JT also refocused his attention. The younger kids were playing an Andorian word game that Sha'al had introduced to them. Her English was definitely getting better, and in return, she was teaching the rest of them some basic Andorian. Several times, she would stay up with JT and have conversations in her native tongue, appreciating being able to speak without having to consciously think about what she was saying.

April and Kieran were in the back of the cave, where they had set up the medical supplies and formed a makeshift hospital-type area. Matt had fallen ill a few days earlier, and the two under qualified teenagers were trying to figure out how to make him better.

In the three months since Kodos' decree, JT knew they had been lucky. No patrols had found their hiding place, and apart from the hunger, Matt was the first one to fall ill. JT knew it couldn't last, but he had no idea how to make it better. Some Captain he was. He couldn't even protect his crew.

April looked up and caught his gaze, jerking her head slightly.

Nodding, JT stood up, resting a hand briefly on Tom's shoulder, before he moved back to join his medics.

"What's up?" he asked quietly, kneeling down next to April as he studied little Mattie, sleeping in front of him. His breathing was shallow and labored, and made JT wince in sympathy and self loathing.

April sighed. "I'm not sure what else we can do, JT," she admitted. "He needs more medicine than we have."

"Like what?" JT queried, his mind already thinking of plans.

April bit her lip. "Nutrient supplements, perhaps some sort of stimulant to help his heart."

JT leaned forward. "What's wrong with his heart?"

April shrugged with one shoulder. "I'm not a doctor, JT. I'm really not sure, but I think the starvation's weakened his heart muscles. If we don't do something, he's going to die." Her voice trailed off into a whisper, as she tried not to cry. Over the last three months, they had become a family, and she hated that she couldn't do anything to save Mattie.

JT thought for a few moments longer. "Where can we find what he needs?"

April looked up. "Some first aid kits in the city might have some decent substitutes, but if you want to get the stronger stuff, you'll need to go to a doctor's office or hospital." She noted the gleam in JT's eyes. "JT, it's too dangerous."

"It's his only shot," JT threw back, defiant.

Kieran interrupted them. "My dad's office would probably have what you need. I think he knew that things were getting bad, so he sealed up his practice, and locked all the medication and equipment so tight, Kodos' guys shouldn't be able to get in, but I can." JT looked like he wanted to protest Kieran's involvement in the actual run, but Kieran shook his head. "My dad told me all the passcodes, and I know where he hid it all. You won't have time to search for it on your own. You'll need me."

Resigned, JT nodded, and gestured to the other boy to follow him. Turning back, he smiled at April. "It'll be fine," he promised. As he turned back to the cave's entrance, he hoped he would be able to keep that promise. They had been able to avoid the city for the last few months, but this run would take them into the lion's den. It was infinitely more dangerous than any other food or medicine run they had attempted.

He raised his voice, calling out, "Tom, you're with me and Kieran. Anya, you're in charge." Both of his friends nodded, Anya going back to what she had been doing, and Tom standing up to join the other two.

JT looked around the cave once more, locking gazes with April. He nodded, and waited until she returned the gesture, before he led the other two boys outside.

**XXX**

They made good time to the city.

The buildings gleamed ahead of them in the midday sun, and JT, for a brief moment, second-guessed what they were about to do.

A second later, his resolve hardened. Mattie was depending on them.

Kieran took over, leading them around the city, entering through a side alley he knew to be nearby to his father's practice. He still missed his parents, but the family he had now had gone a long way towards healing that pain.

JT threw out his hand to stop the other two before they exited the alley onto the main road; they stayed in the shadows as a patrol passed, waiting until the sound of heavily shod feet had all but disappeared, before Kieran pointed them in the right direction.

The door to the practice hung open on one hinge, and the first floor had obviously been searched, but it looked like nothing had been taken. With most of the staff dead, there was no one to know as the three teenagers hurried inside and immediately moved up to the second floor.

JT and Tom kept watch by the stairs while Kieran quickly made his way over to the locked cabinets where he knew his father had kept his drugs and supplies. He moved aside one of the cabinets with no small effort, and grinned at the safe that came into view. He punched in the code his father had given him all those months ago. The light turned green, and then red again, and Kieran punched in the second code. The safe clicked open, and the teenager immediately began filling the bag he had brought with him with everything he could reach; anything that might help them. Unfortunately, the stores had been depleted before Kodos' decree, so there wasn't as much as any of them would have liked, but Kieran did find enough to hopefully help Mattie get better, as well as give them a decent stockpile for the future, assuming not too many of them became ill. Most of what he found were fever reducers, a few mild pain relievers, some antihistamines, and an anti-inflammatory or two. There were a couple of nutrient supplements, but not as many as Kieran had hoped.

When he was done, he closed up the cabinet and went back to JT and Tom. He didn't dare speak, but his nod indicated that they were done.

JT briefly considered trying to raid some of the homes, but he dismissed the idea as soon as he had thought it. The most important thing was to get the medicine back to the cave. It was better not to push it.

The entire trip out of the city, JT was just waiting for guards to swoop down and kill them. Fortunately, that didn't happen, though they did have to run for cover several times to avoid patrols.

They did have one encounter on the way back. Outside the city, there was nowhere to hide when the sound of a hovercar reached their ears.

JT looked around in a panic, but there was nothing in view that would provide decent cover. "Get down," he told his companions, gesturing to the ground.

Obligingly, both Kieran and Tom lay down, Kieran hiding the bag of medical supplies underneath him.

JT stayed standing, spreading his feet so that his stance was balanced.

It didn't take long for the hovercar to come into view; it slowed to a stop in front of him, and two guards got out.

"What do we have here?" one asked, looking at the kid in front of him.

"I think I recognize this one," the other commented. "Drove him home a few times. Jimmy. The Governor's little pet, right?"

JT tried to hide his flinch, but wasn't quite successful, and both guards laughed.

"Him and his gang's been causing us a lot of trouble lately. I think the Governor would like to have a little chat with you," the first guard said, reaching for the boy.

If there was one thing Frank had taught JT, it was how to throw a punch. Well, mostly, JT had learned by observing, and by feeling it doled out, but it came in handy now, as he ducked the guard's grasp, and landed a solid hit to the man's gut.

The other guard lunged, but JT was quick on his feet, and dodged again.

He landed a kick to the guard's midsection, and the guy went down. JT reached out and managed to get a hold of the man's phaser. He stepped back, holding the weapon out with shaking hands.

Both men charged at him, and without thinking about it, JT fired, twice.

Both guards went down, and didn't rise. Looking at the weapon, JT realized that it had not been set to stun. He gulped, eyes widening, before he gestured for Tom and Kieran to stand up.

Neither of them seemed to be able to take their eyes off the dead guards, until JT put a hand on their arms, turning them around and leading them towards the woods.

None of them said anything as they ran back to the cave.

**XXX**

When they arrived back, Kieran headed back to April, where he pulled out a vial and a hypospray, and handed it to the older girl.

Tom and JT stayed by the entrance, neither talking, but taking comfort in the other's presence.

When it started to get dark, Tom stood up and headed back inside. He paused briefly, turning back to look at his friend. "Thanks," he said quietly.

JT looked up, startled, and nodded, not saying anything in response.

Tom moved away, and a few minutes later, Kieran came over. He didn't speak for several moments, sitting down next to JT and just watching the scenery outside.

Finally, he bit his lip and looked over at their leader. "Thank you," he said simply.

JT nodded, but, like with Tom, didn't say anything in reply.

Kieran hesitated. "Those guards knew you." JT panicked briefly, but calmed slightly when Kieran rushed on, "I won't say anything. I know you know more than the rest of us, but you must have reasons for not telling us. Frankly, I'm not sure I want to know." He looked down, playing with the gravel on the ground as a distraction. "You're doing a good job, JT. Keeping us alive. I trust you, and if you don't want to tell us something, I know you've got reasons for it. I won't tell anyone what I heard today."

JT nodded shakily. "Thanks," he said, trying to smile as Kieran stood up and headed back inside.

A few minutes later, Anya joined him. She offered him a protein bar, one of the last they had – he would need to make another food run tomorrow. JT turned it down. "Give it to Kev," he said. Anya thought about protesting, but knew it wouldn't do anything. JT was stubborn like that, so she just turned around and offered the bar to the five year old, before she went back to JT.

The two sat in silence for a while, as the activity in the cave settled down for the night.

It wasn't until everyone but him and Anya were asleep that JT finally spoke. "I killed them."

It was a simple statement, but loaded with the grief and fear that the fourteen year old felt.

Anya nodded. Kieran had told her what had happened. "You did what you had to do," she replied softly.

JT looked up, eyes pleading. "Am I a murderer?" he asked, sniffing in an attempt to keep the tears from falling.

Anya shook her head, leaning forward. "JT, you protected yourself, and Tom, and Kieran. You're not a bad guy, it was self defense."

JT just looked down, hugging his knees to his chest. "We've had run-ins before, but we never did serious damage."

Anya didn't stay anything, and just sat there, offering her support. The pair spent the rest of the night in silence, JT contemplating, Anya just being there for her friend, her little brother. He had become so important to her in the last couple of years, and she hated to see him hurt.

**XXX**

The next day, JT showed no sign of remembering their conversation of his turbulent emotions of the night before, and, dutifully, Anya said nothing as well.

She kept a close eye on him, watching as he spent hours working on that communicator, before he once more gave it up for the time being, and took Tom and Cory on a food run.

As the days continued to pass, JT put the incident behind him, not forgotten, but pushed back far enough that it didn't overwhelm him. They had more important things to worry about.

Fortunately, the medicine they had managed to retrieve was able to get Mattie better, and within a few days, the seven year old was up and about just as he had been before falling ill.

Though it was hard to feel joyful, they did make an effort to celebrate Kevin's sixth birthday as it came, as well as Callen and Sven's tenth, just a week afterwards. There was no cake, but JT managed to come up with a present for them at least.

For Kevin, he had spent days whittling out a model of a starship out of a piece of wood. It was crude, but worth the effort to see the way the boy's eyes lit up.

For Callen and Sven, he had whittled models of dinosaurs. One was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the other a Brachiosaurus. He knew that the twins were fascinated by the extinct creatures, and both loved the gift.

It was nice to have something good to relieve the fear and worry that continued to plague them.

All of them were getting skinnier. Several more kids fell ill, though thanks to the stolen meds, and some redistributing of rations as needed, no one had died. Yet.

JT knew it was only a matter of time, but he hated thinking it. He hated making way for the bad thoughts. As if just having the idea might make it more real, more possible.

JT knew he wasn't the only one sacrificing his own portion for the younger kids, but he didn't say anything, watching as his crew, his family, grew weaker and weaker around him.

April and Kieran, thankfully, were aware enough that they needed to be as healthy as possible, in order to take care of the others; JT didn't think he'd be able to force anyone to eat, so he was glad that they realized their necessity to the group, and took care of themselves, as much as they were able.

Percy was the first of the older kids to become seriously ill. JT knew it was from giving up his food all the time. At this point, though, he didn't think just getting the boy to eat again would solve anything. They were running out of meds, and none of what they had left would help him.

He could only watch as Percy grew unable to walk, lacking the energy to do anything, though he was still able to smile for the younger kids. Over the last few months, he had become something of a father figure to them. He had looked after them while the others did their jobs, getting food and medicine, standing guard, and scouting the area.

Anya was the next one to become ill. It stabbed JT in the heart, watching his big sister lie there, trying to hide her moans of pain and trying to mask the hacking coughs that forced their way out of her lungs. It was more than just starvation, JT knew. He suspected pneumonia, but they had nothing to treat it, and they weren't likely to find anything unless they broke into the hospital in the city, which he knew would be suicide. Kieran's father's practice had been risky enough. They would never make it out of the hospital alive.

JT spent two days watching Anya grow weaker and weaker. Mild pain relievers and fever reducers only did so much. They barely lowered her temperature, before it climbed back up to alarming levels.

It was late in the night, three days after Anya's illness became apparent, when it came to a close.

Tom and Cory were keeping watch at the entrance, and JT was sitting by Anya's side, holding her hand as he listened to her wheezing breath.

"Jimmy." The teenager looked up at the rasp of his name, glad that no one else was within hearing distance, as he knew by now that his older friend was too far gone to remember to use his pseudonym. Anya was watching him with something foreign in her eyes. It was sad, and pleading, but almost… peaceful.

JT leaned closer, sniffling, trying to hold in the tears. "Anya, don't…"

Anya shook her head slightly. "It's all right, Jimmy. Please, don't be sad." JT bit his lip, the tears escaping. Anya gasped. "Jimmy, promise me something." JT nodded, suddenly remembering Hoshi's last moments. He wondered if Anya would make him give the same vow. He wasn't so sure he could keep it anymore. Anya smiled softly. As her voice grew weaker, she switched over to Russian, her native tongue coming much easier to her fever muddled brain. "_Jimmy, you'll figure this out. You'll get out. And when you do, promise me you'll live._" JT nodded soberly, the tears falling fast and thick now. It was the same promise that he gave Hoshi, and like he had given his teacher, he would give it to her, even if he didn't know if he could keep it. Anya's eyes turned towards the ceiling of the cave. A few tears leaked out of her eyes, but her expression was calm. "_Tell my brother I love him. And tell Pasha… tell him I'll always be with him._"

JT nodded again, gasping a little as Anya breathed in and out… in and out… and then her chest was still. She was smiling.

A hand came down on JT's shoulder, and he flinched slightly, looking up. Tom was crying as well.

The two boys said nothing, as Cory joined them.

April was the next to sit with them, waking up from her little nap a few minutes later – she and Kieran had been taking catnaps whenever they could. She wouldn't have left Anya's side that night, if JT hadn't forced her to get some sleep, promising that he would watch over her. Her soft cry when she realized that her friend was dead woke up the rest of the group.

The smaller kids were crying, but each gave the oldest of their group a goodbye, before they stepped back, giving the command crew a chance to be alone.

JT, Tom, Cory, and April sat in silence for a while longer, saying their goodbyes to their friend. One by one, each stood up and moved away, until it was just JT alone.

He still hadn't let go of Anya's hand, and just stayed slumped over for several more minutes, before he straightened up. There was a fierce expression on his face. His eyes were burning with determination, as his resolve hardened. "_I promise, Anya_," he said lowly, still in Russian, "_I'll get everyone out. I promise, I'll try to live, for you. And I'll find your brother, and tell him how much you loved him. I'll tell Pavel how lucky he is, to have had a sister like you._"

With that, he stood up, laying Anya's hand on her chest. April and Kieran moved forward, picking up the body, and JT followed them out of the cave.

At the entrance, he turned back and looked at the group. He knew they wanted to come, but it was too dangerous for such a large group to be wandering around the area. He sighed. "Cory, Tom, you guys come with us. Percy, you're in charge."

He faltered a little at giving those instructions. Over the last five months, two days, and some odd hours since their group had been forced together by circumstance, he had always left Anya in charge when he and Tom weren't there.

Percy nodded from his spot on one of the beds, as he still couldn't stand up, and Tom and Cory joined him as JT turned back around, and the small group quickly made their way to a nearby clearing, where they all banded together to dig a grave.

It was shallower than it should have been, but none of them were strong enough, or had enough energy, anymore, to dig any more.

When Anya was buried, all five of them spent a few more minutes saying goodbye once more, before leaving the area.

JT, Tom, and Cory broke away for a food run, while the others headed back to the cave.

It was getting harder to find places to steal food. Over the last five months, they had raided many of the abandoned homesteads in the farmlands and outlying villages, as well as the stores set up by Kodos and his guards, but it was getting harder to avoid patrols, and they had had many more run-ins with guards over the last month or so. They tried to avoid the city whenever possible, but it wasn't easy.

The three boys headed in the direction they had ventured in a few days earlier.

Someone had apparently been thinking ahead, and had stockpiled a good deal of canned goods, things that wouldn't spoil. The food was stored in a well-hidden lean-to, between trees in a dense part of the woods.

Cory filled up their bag with all that would fit, while Tom and JT kept watch.

It was on their way back that they ran into trouble.

A patrol found them as they hurried down the road – part of their route had to be made in the open; unfortunately, it was the only way back to the cave.

A shout drew their attention, and JT felt his stomach drop. "Run," he urged his companions.

They managed to get to the woods, and JT stopped. Both other boys halted as well, but JT shook his head. "Keep going, I'll hold them off."

Tom set himself stubbornly. "Cory, get that food back to the others. We'll be there soon."

Cory looked like he wanted to protest, but on seeing JT's expression, he simply nodded and took off running again.

JT and Tom waited by the tree line. It didn't take long for the patrol to reach them.

There were four of them. Each one was carrying a phaser in his hands, and none of the expressions on the men made JT or Tom feel any better.

They tossed out a few leers and chilling comments and suggestions, before JT sprung into action, taking one guard down with several well-placed punches.

A scream got his attention. Tom had also taken out a guard, but he had gone down, holding his stomach with his hands.

A feeling like ice percolated in his chest, and with an almost feral cry, he grabbed a fallen phaser, taking out the remaining two guards, before he went over to Tom.

A different sort of stabbing broke his concentration as he kneeled down next to his friend.

Tom's breathing was coming in gasps. "JT," he wheezed.

JT shook his head. "Come on," he urged, hauling his friend up. Tom leaned heavily on JT, and together, they managed to get back to the cave.

"April!" JT shouted out, a note of fear in his voice that caused all eyes to turn to him. JT was always in control. He was always so calm, acting as the leader they had all named him as. For him to actually show fear meant something must really be wrong.

April gasped as she turned to the entrance, seeing the two boys stumble inside.

With hurried movements, she had both of them back in the medical section of the cave. JT lowered Tom with a wince, and then stood back, watching as April and Kieran rushed around, trying to figure out the problem.

Tom was groaning, but JT couldn't see any sign of injury. After a few minutes, April stood up and gestured him over to a corner.

"How bad is it?" JT asked, glancing back at his friend.

April sighed. "Not as bad as it looked. He's got a broken rib. We still have a few pain meds, so there's that, at least. But we can't fix the bone without equipment; Kieran and I wrapped it with bandages, but it'll just have to heal on its own."

JT nodded, biting his lip. He looked around the cave for a moment, observing the kids. Most of them were looking at Tom, with varying degrees of worry and fear.

As he turned back to April, he winced again.

The makeshift doctor caught the motion, and leaned forward in concern. "JT, are you all right?" JT nodded, but April was insistent. "Let me see," she all but demanded.

JT sighed, but dutifully lifted up his shirt.

April gasped at the bruise that covered half his side. Her hands ghosted over the injury. "How bad does it hurt?" she asked quietly, concerned.

JT lowered his shirt, shaking his head. "Nothing's broken," he assured her. "I think it's just a fracture."

April didn't want to let it go, but she really couldn't do anything. It wasn't like they had any equipment to mend bones. Somehow, she knew that if she suggested giving him something for the pain, he would refuse, stating that Tom would need it all.

Everyone began to settle as night fell once more; Percy had all the kids distracted, playing games until it was time for bed. JT went back to the communicator he still couldn't get to work. Fiddling with the device had become such a habit for him by now; it just seemed to be something to do, to pass time. Something to feel like he was actually making progress, even if he wasn't. He brought it to the back of the cave, and used one of their lanterns – the only one that still worked – to see by, as the natural light failed. He didn't want to leave his friend.

Cory and Sha'al kept watch that night, though JT didn't go to sleep with the rest of the group either. He was determined to get help, and Hoshi's communicator was his only shot.

Tom began to stir a little, and JT looked over, biting his lip. He waited a few moments, and was rewarded by a pair of tired eyes staring back. "Hey," he said quietly, leaning forward so they could converse without waking anyone else.

Tom groaned, pressing his hand to his chest as he tried to sit up.

JT shook his head, resting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't try to move," he protested. "You've got a broken rib, but you'll be fine."

Tom stopped his efforts, and looked up. "Are you…?"

He trailed off, but JT understood. He smiled a little. "Cory and I are both fine," he assured the other boy. Tom raised an eyebrow, not buying the act, and JT sighed. "I've got a fractured rib, I think," he admitted. "It doesn't hurt that bad, and it's not as bad as you, so don't fight April when she gives you the pain meds, all right?"

Tom glared, but didn't protest. He was about to say something else, but JT shook his head. "Get some sleep," he said. "We'll talk more later."

Tom looked mutinous, but settled back and closed his eyes, his breathing evening out moments later. JT smiled again, and went back to his fiddling. It wasn't too much later when he felt his own eyes begin to droop. Almost against his will, he set down the communicator, and settled against the wall of the cave next to Tom, falling quickly into sleep.

**XXX**

It wasn't until two days later that JT had a flash of insight. Tom was able to sit up now, but he still got winded easily when he moved around.

He had moved to the edge of the cave, and was dozing lightly that evening, while JT and Cory kept watch – JT still fiddling with the communicator – when his rest was interrupted by their Captain.

"It's a jamming signal."

Cory and Tom looked over, confused. "What is?" Cory asked curiously.

JT held up the communicator. "Nothing's wrong with this, there's a jamming signal preventing any communications from getting out."

Cory bit his lip. "So then, Starfleet doesn't even know anything's wrong?"

JT shook his head grimly. "Kodos probably put up the signal to prevent anyone from calling for help." He paused for a moment, before continuing delicately. "I think it can be disabled, but only from the point of origin. I can't believe I didn't figure it out earlier."

Cory furrowed his brow at the self-disgust in his cousin's voice, before his chin shot up, hearing the unspoken idea behind JT's explanation. "NO!" His shout drew several eyes, as most of the kids were just drifting off to sleep. Cory didn't notice. "JT, you can't! We need you here, you can't just…"

"I have to," JT argued back, his voice weary but determined, his expression steely. "Cory, this communicator is the only shot we have of getting help. Until that jamming signal is gone, we can't get a message out. It's our only chance."

April and Percy came over now – April supporting the weak sixteen year old – followed quickly by Sha'al, Sean, and Kieran. The ones gathered by the entrance were the oldest of the group.

JT bit his lip, looking at the group. "I can get into the Palace, which is where the signal has to be coming from. I have to do this." His gaze drifted over to Tom, who was watching him steadily, but not saying anything. The makeshift First Officer knew he couldn't dissuade his friend, and it sounded like this really was the only option they had.

April was the first one to nod. "You can do it, JT." She smiled slightly. "If anyone could, it's you. And you're right. We need help."

Hesitantly, the rest of them nodded their acquiescence. None of them were happy about it, but they were desperate enough to know that they needed to take some drastic measures.

JT grit his teeth, swallowing harshly. He inclined his head once, and held out the communicator to Tom. "Give me two hours, and then start sending out a distress signal. Transmit it once every five minutes, until you get a response. Can you do that?"

Tom looked at the device, and then back at JT. He shook his head. "I'm coming with you," he stated calmly.

JT was the one to shake his head now. "You can't –" he started.

Tom cut him off. "You're not going anywhere without me," he maintained, making to stand up, holding in the wince as his chest ached.

JT sighed. "Tom, you're hurt," he protested.

Tom held firm. "You need someone to keep watch. Face it, JT. I'm coming."

They had a bit of a staring contest for a few moments longer, before JT looked away. "Fine," he grumbled, holding the communicator out for Cory. "You can transmit the signal, right?"

Cory nodded, squashing down the fear as he took the offered communicator with a shaking hand.

JT smiled a little, trying to reassure his cousin. He spent another minute showing Cory exactly how to send the distress signal, before he stood up. He wanted to reassure them, to tell them that everything would be all right, but he couldn't. He knew the chances of successfully getting in and out of the Palace without anyone seeing him. But they had no choice.

So he just stood there awkwardly for another moment, before he took a deep breath.

The others stood up as well, each giving him a hug or a pat on the back.

Sha'al stepped in, searching his gaze for something. _"There's no chance you'll promise to come back, is there?_" she asked, resigned, in Andorian.

JT shook his head regretfully. "_I don't know if I'll be able to keep it,_" he replied.

Sha'all nodded, and gave him a hug as well. "_Just promise me you'll be careful, then,_" she said as she stepped back.

JT couldn't speak, but he nodded his assent, attempting a smile.

The others crowded around next, not understanding everything, but sensing the seriousness of the older kids.

Lisa gave him a huge hug, followed by Kevin. The now six year old had firmly attached himself to the older teen, shadowing him whenever they were in the cave.

Jenny and Rose each grasped one leg, making JT smile, patting them on the head before he had to make them let go.

Everyone gave their support to Tom as well, minding his injury, before the two boys shared a significant look. Without another word, JT turned around and led Tom out of the cave.

One way or another, they were going to get that distress signal out. They were going to get help.

_Please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter has it's own warning here. I usually try to write PG-13 or below, but this chapter could potentially be rated M, depending on who you are. You have been warned. There are some torture scenes here, including sexual assault (not Jim). I apologize if that offends anyone, but it was what came out. Actually, I totally wrote this chapter completely, and then read another Tarsus story, and this scene came to mind, so I re-wrote it all. It's not too bad, I don't think, but I do go into some detail in the torture scenes, so if that's triggory for you, you have been warned.**

**Disclaimer: not mine**

The entire trip to the city, JT was expecting to get caught. Every rustle of the wind in the trees was a patrol swooping down on him.

He and Tom made pretty good time, considering both were nursing injuries.

Fortunately, luck actually seemed to be with them, as they made it to the Palace without seeing a single person. It was getting to be late night by the time they reached the city, so most people were at home. JT knew that Kodos had installed a curfew to keep order, so no one was allowed outside at night. That had become law somewhere around three months ago, after he had lost several official food stores to some of the rebel groups that had escaped his execution.

Spending so much time at the Palace before everything had gone to hell had given JT an intimate knowledge of the best way to enter without anyone seeing him.

Towards the back of the building, there was an air vent. JT stopped there, and turned to look at Tom. He bit his lip. "Stay here. If you hear anyone coming, hide. Stay out of sight, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Tom nodded, his breath hitching as the reality of what the consequences would be if they were caught invaded his mind. "Be careful," he implored, his gaze earnest.

JT smiled slightly, and nodded, before turning back to the air vent.

It wasn't large enough for an adult to crawl through, and perhaps if he weren't so malnourished, he wouldn't have been able to fit either, but as it was, he managed to pop off the cover and stick his head through the opening.

His shoulders followed, and then the rest of him. The light dimming around him told him that Tom had replaced the cover to the vent.

It was a good thing JT was a genius, because he remembered the layout of the Palace perfectly, and was able to keep track of his progress as he crawled through the vent.

He knew the easiest place to take down the jamming signal was Kodos' personal offices, however dangerous it would be to get in there.

The vent wouldn't take him all the way, so JT had to exit the relative safety of the confined space a few hallways over. He checked for people before he popped the cover off and climbed out, replacing the grate before getting his bearings and hurrying towards the power box he knew to be located one hallway over. Once there, he quickly circumvented the passcode and, a few moments later, had disabled the security cameras in this particular section of the Palace. That act done, he hurried to the suite of offices where the Governor worked.

It was sheer happenstance that he found out that Kodos wasn't in his office – of course, he would have felt a little happier about gaining that knowledge if he hadn't had to dive into a shadowed alcove in order to avoid being seen by the Governor as he walked away from his office, in conversation with several guards.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, JT continued on, reaching the suite of offices a few minutes later. He knew he didn't have long, as someone would be trying to fix the cameras, and what he had done wouldn't hold up for more than ten minutes or so.

He popped the touchpad off the wall, revealing the wires behind them. Glancing around nervously, he checked to make sure he was alone, before he turned to the task in front of him. Crossing a few wires, he was able to hotwire the door, making it open for him even without the proper passcode.

He replaced the touchpad before entering the office.

Once inside, he looked around briefly, before going to the computer. He knew he probably could have hacked into a safer computer somewhere else in the Palace, but it would have taken more time than he wanted to risk, so this was unfortunately the best option.

It still took too long, since he had to get around Kodos' passcodes, but eventually, he got there, and was able to take down the signal. He knew it was really his nerves making it seem longer; he had been playing with and rewiring computers practically since before he could talk, so this was child's play to him. Then again, the Governor did use some rather advanced security on his computer, so it wasn't exactly pushing a couple of buttons and being done with it.

He let out a short breath, hoping that Cory would be sending out that distress signal by now. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but it was definitely at least two hours since he and Tom had left.

A noise drew his attention, and JT looked up, startled. His eyes widened, and he hurriedly typed a few more commands, setting up a sequence complete with protections to keep anyone from taking down what he had done, before he erased all signs of his being there. He quickly stood up, and almost ran to the door.

Opening it slightly showed an empty hall, so he left the room quickly, trying to get back to the vent he had used to enter as quickly as possible.

He was almost there when he heard the noise he had been dreading: the sound of several people quickly making their way towards him.

Four guards appeared in front of him, just as he turned the corner to the hallway where the vent was located. Glancing behind him showed four more guards.

He turned back around, unable to do anything as he felt a shocking sensation, followed by a stinging feeling, as the world went dark around him.

**XXX**

When he woke up, JT almost laughed. There was nothing amusing about his situation; it was more where he found himself.

A dungeon. An honest to God, dungeon.

He was lying in a heap on the floor of a cell. It had bars and everything.

How had he spent so much time in this place without realizing that they had such accommodations? Or maybe he was no longer at the Palace.

No. JT knew Kodos wouldn't remove him from his place of strength. In the Palace, he was in control.

JT was still in the Governor's Palace. Somewhere. Probably a basement or something. He could only hope that Tom hadn't been caught. And he really hoped that his file download got out. He had sent a copy of all of Kodos' documents on the famine, and his whole eugenics plan, out into space, with a special code to download automatically to the nearest authorized Starfleet vessel. He just prayed that there was a ship within range.

The sound of a door opening drew his attention away from his musings, as he sat up, wincing a little as he felt a stabbing in his side, reminding him of his run in with the guards a few days earlier. The back of his neck throbbed, telling him exactly where he had gotten hit by the guards that had caught him. At least this time, the phasers were set to stun.

A clanking sound indicated the opening of his cell, and JT looked up defiantly.

Two guards entered first, taking positions by the entrance to the cell, holding their phasers threateningly.

Kodos entered next, observing the teenager in front of him.

JT stared back, glaring, but not saying anything.

After a few moments, Kodos shook his head. "Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy. What am I going to do with you?"

JT didn't speak, tensing at the Governor's words. He hadn't heard his name spoken in a while, other then Anya's dying words, so it was strange to hear it now. He just glared at the man he had thought of like a father, once upon a time.

Kodos smirked a little, glancing over his shoulder.

JT's heart dropped into his stomach the next moment, as a guard dragged Tom into the next cell over.

Kodos turned back to JT. "Your friend isn't very good at hiding."

JT almost growled. He longed to wipe the smirk off that man's face, but he knew he didn't stand a chance.

Kodos didn't say anything else, and simply left the cell, followed out by the guards.

As soon as he heard the door close behind them, JT turned quickly to Tom. His friend was lying on his side, moaning a little as he covered his face with his hands.

"Tom" he whispered, quietly but urgently.

Tom groaned, looking over blearily, the eye not being covered by his hand resting on JT.

JT bit his lip crawling right up to the bars to better see his friend. "Are you all right?"

Tom grimaced, and shook his head slightly, wincing at the pounding in his head. "My face… my eye is burning." There was a hint of hysteria in his voice.

JT wished he could actually go to his friend's side, but they were separated by the bars, so the best he could do was to sit right next to that divider. "What happened?" he asked.

Tom shifted a little, readjusting his body to ease some of the hurts from his still aching broken rib. "I heard guards coming, so I tried to hide. They found me, and one of them got off a shot that grazed me. It really hurts, JT." The last comment was almost a whisper, a truth he really didn't want to admit, because that meant showing weakness, and he knew JT didn't need that right now.

JT frowned. "I'm sorry, Tom," he said quietly, guiltily.

Tom tried to shake his head, but aborted the motion at the wave of pain it brought. "Not your fault," he protested. "I insisted on coming."

JT bit his lip. "Still…" he tried to argue, but Tom cut him off.

"Don't worry about me, JT. I'll be fine. Just –"

He was cut off as the door to their prison opened once more, and Kodos returned.

The two guards who accompanied him opened JT's cell. He tried to fight back, but he was too weak from the malnourishment, plus the injured rib, to do much damage. The guard injected him with something that made him slump down, boneless, and they dragged the teenager out.

Throughout it all, Kodos didn't say a word, and simply followed his guards and prisoner out, closing and locking the door behind them.

**XXX**

When JT woke again, he was chained to a table. In trying to move, he realized that he couldn't, as both his wrists and ankles were strapped down to the uncomfortable piece of furniture.

He also realized that he was no longer wearing a shirt.

It hadn't been looking too good anyway, riddled with holes from the months he had spent living rough, but it was still disconcerting to realize that he was half naked. The clothes that he had managed to bring with him and his cousins, as they left their home five months ago, had been distributed amongst the group, as much as they could. The clothes he had been wearing were really all he had. He wondered where his shirt had gone, before deciding that it really didn't matter; he had a feeling he probably wouldn't need it much in the near future. There were more important things to worry about right now.

No sooner than had he had this realization, Kodos entered the room. He stopped at JT's side, and looked down on the boy. His expression was almost… regretful.

JT didn't buy it.

"Jimmy, I wish it didn't have to be this way."

JT kept glaring. "You could always let me go, then," he commented.

Kodos almost smiled, and shook his head. "I will, Jimmy, but first, you have to do something for me."

JT didn't reply, and after a minute, Kodos continued. "You've been making things awfully difficult for my guards over the last few months. Tell me about the group you've been staying with. I need to know where they are."

He waited, and after a moment, JT met his gaze once more. His eyes were dark and determined. "Go to Hell," he said calmly.

Kodos just sighed. "I really wish you would be more helpful, Jimmy. I want to help you, but you need to show me that you're willing to give a little."

JT didn't say anything. He just returned his gaze to the ceiling, and set his mouth in a tight line.

Kodos continued to ask questions for a while longer, but JT was done rising to the bait. He stayed silent through everything, until eventually, Kodos left.

His parting comment chilled JT to the bone, even if he didn't react outwardly. "I'll just leave you to think about your options," the Governor stated, before doing just that.

**XXX**

When he returned, JT was still staring straight up at the ceiling. His wrists and ankles were starting to hurt a little, from the restraints, but he remained steadfastly silent through Kodos' attempts to get him to speak.

After a while, Kodos sighed, and stepped back. "I really wish it didn't have to come to this."

JT looked over briefly, before he returned his gaze to the ceiling. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another man walk up to the Governor. Kodos gave the man a nod, and he moved forward so that he was standing over JT.

It was a guard. His face looked expressionless at first glance, as he started fiddling with a metal device, placing it around JT's right leg, but when JT glanced at him again, he could see the gleam of excitement hidden in the guard's eyes. When it was set up, the guard looked back at Kodos, who gave him a nod, so he immediately started tightening the device.

It took maybe thirty seconds for JT to feel his leg snap. He let out an involuntary cry, and Kodos moved forward again. "Will you tell me now, Jimmy?"

JT grit his teeth and shook his head, trying to take even, measured breaths. Kodos sighed, and stepped back again.

JT knew it probably wasn't as long as he thought, but it felt like an eternity before Kodos and the guard left him. In addition to the broken leg, he also now sported several broken ribs, a broken arm, and multiple bruises to his chest and face. Apart from a few grunts, he hadn't said a word.

He wanted to stay awake, but the peaceful blackness of oblivion was encroaching on his vision. The world faded out around him.

**XXX**

When JT woke again, he could feel his arms screaming in pain. He was surprised to not feel the pain of the broken bones he had received, and realized that they must have healed them while he was passed out.

He was in a different location from the last time; it was no less depressing, but now he was trussed up like a pig, his arms stretched above him, his feet barely touching the ground. He shifted his weight slightly, but it really didn't help any.

Before he could think any more about his situation, Kodos and the guard were both there, again. JT listened in a detached sort of way, as Kodos once more began to speak. Something had changed, though, JT realized. It wasn't about the group he had been staying with. Kodos moved around him, speaking calmly as he observed the boy hanging from the ceiling.

"Jimmy, I need your help. You see, there are several terrorists causing me trouble. You can help me deal with them. You'll be a hero. I promise, you'll be forgiven for everything, if you just help me."

JT didn't say a word. Not when the guard took a glowing red iron bar to his chest, or when he felt the whip rain down on his back. Not when they injected him with some sort of stimulant that made everything feel ten times more painful, or when they took a knife to key pressure points and made precise cuts designed to cause the maximum amount of pain without making him bleed out.

He just clenched his jaw and refused to give in.

The part of him that was still capable of coherent thought noticed that Kodos didn't ever lay a hand on him. He just stayed back, asking his questions and making his pleas in between the guard's ministrations. JT wondered why, but figured it was for some sadistic reason, and didn't really matter. Not giving Kodos the satisfaction of winning was more important.

Time blurred together for a while, and he was so caught up in the pain that he barely noticed when he was left alone once more.

**XXX**

JT had lost track of how many 'sessions' he had had with Kodos and that thrice cursed guard.

His back was constantly on fire, and his front wasn't doing much better. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. He knew he had broken ribs, and it was very likely by this point that at least one shoulder was dislocated. He hadn't been let down from his position of hanging from the ceiling since he had woken up to find himself that way. It was probably two or three days by now. Besides the branding iron, whip, and the guard's fists, he had also had to deal with a razor sharp knife that left lacerations to his face, neck, chest, arms, and legs. The blood was dried on his body, and he had to keep blinking rapidly to keep it out of his eyes.

The part of JT that was detached from the rest knew what Kodos was trying to do. It wasn't about information anymore. Kodos was trying to torture him into becoming an assassin. All of the questions and sweet talk the Governor had laid on him just proved it. Most of him was just focused on not succumbing to the pain, but his brain was a rather large place, so he was able to make this connection objectively.

The door opened, drawing JT out of his morose thoughts, and he mentally steeled himself for another 'session'.

It surprised him, when he didn't hear Kodos speak for several minutes. He looked up, startled by the deviation from the routine.

The Governor was watching him with an amused smile. It was more of a smirk, JT thought distractedly. Not that it really mattered; the truth was, whatever his expression, it really couldn't be good for him.

"I had so hoped you would be more cooperative, Jimmy," Kodos commented offhandedly. JT didn't speak, and Kodos sighed. "After everything I've done for you."

Still, JT maintained his silence. Kodos shook his head, and turned slightly, gesturing to something behind him. He turned back to his prisoner. "I found a few more of your… friends… lurking around. Perhaps they'd be a little more willing."

JT's heart dropped. _No. _He watched, horrified, as the guards dragged two bodies into the room, before taking up positions by the door.

One of the bodies rolled a little, before sitting up groggily. JT grit his teeth, his eyes pained, as he tried not to speak. He couldn't let Kodos know how much this development hurt him.

Kevin looked around the room, his eyes lighting on JT, hanging from the ceiling. He let out a little cry, but, as much time as they had spent together, he caught the slight shake of his head, and – almost painfully – kept his silence.

Kodos had hoped for something a little more, but nevertheless, plowed forward. "Yes, we found these two outside the city. Perhaps they'll be more willing. What do you say?" he asked, nudging the second one with his foot.

The small girl moaned and sat up as well. JT felt his heart drop into his stomach. Lisa looked at him, pleading, but he couldn't do anything.

After another minute of silence, Kodos motioned for the guards to take Kevin and Lisa away.

Once they were alone Kodos spent a few more minutes with taunts and insinuations, as well as a few threats, before he left as well.

Once he was sure they were all gone, JT let a few tears fall. His cousin. He wondered what she and Kevin had been doing out, alone. They were both too young. He had always made sure to impress upon the younger kids how dangerous it was to leave the cave alone. And never had he let any of them get that close to the city. He could only deduce that they had snuck away to look for him and Tom. Guilt was starting to creep in now. They had gotten caught because of him.

Oh God, Cory. He must be going crazy by now. JT prayed to any deity that may be listening that the rest of the group wouldn't lose their heads over the loss of two more of their number. He was counting on April and Percy to look after the rest.

Time once more faded as JT berated himself, blaming himself in every way for Lisa and Kevin's fate. He didn't know what he could do to save them, but he could keep everyone else safe. He wouldn't give in to Kodos' torture. Kodos wouldn't win. He thought he could mold JT into becoming the perfect weapon, but he had seriously miscalculated. He had failed to account for JT's will to live, for his compassion and his sense of duty to those he cared for. He feared for Tom, Kevin, and Lisa, though. He hadn't seen Tom in days, probably. His best friend hadn't looked good, with that injury to his head. He hoped that Kevin and Lisa were helping, however they could. He hoped they were together.

The door clanked open, and JT lifted his head slightly. The tears had left clean tracks in the blood and grime on his face, leaving obvious signs of his distress. Kodos' smile widened at seeing the proof.

Behind him, three more guards entered. JT noted in a detached way that one of them was the guard who always carried out the physical acts during Kodos' sessions.

The other two guards were dragging Lisa into the room.

JT tuned out Kodos' questions and taunting. It was an almost out of body experience; he could feel the pain inflicted on his body, but it didn't quite register.

He felt a lull in the pain, and looked up wearily. Kodos had stepped back, and was now watching his younger cousin with a gleam in his eyes that set JT on edge.

At a nod from the Governor, the two guards restraining the girl had her chained to one wall, ignoring her cries. The chain reached out several feet, so she was bound in the center of the room, her hands stretched out over her head as she lay there.

Lisa looked at her cousin. He looked so hurt, she knew that he couldn't do anything to help her, but the fact that he would if he could, helped her, just a little.

The guard that had administered the physical punishments to JT moved over to Lisa now. The razor-like knife was once more in his hands, and her cries increased as he made several carefully calculated cuts, going for places that would inflict the most pain, without becoming fatal.

JT only remained silent for two cuts, before he broke. "Stop!" he shouted. The guard paused, and Kodos smiled. JT looked at the Governor. "You've got me, do whatever you want, but don't hurt her."

Kodos shook his head a little, and with a motion to the guards, one of the ones by the door moved over to gag JT, while the one with the knife went back to his work.

Lisa's cries got louder, and JT jerked a little, unable to make any noise, tears streaming from his eyes, as he was unable to look away from his cousin.

He didn't know how long it was, before the guard stopped making those precise incisions. Lisa was almost unconscious now, blood, dirt, tears, and mucus staining her face and her body.

The guard then looked over at Kodos. "Sir?" he asked quietly but eagerly.

It was the first time JT had actually heard him speak, and he really didn't like the tone he heard in the man's voice.

Kodos smirked at JT, and then turned to Lisa, relishing in the fear clearly written on her face. He nodded. "You've more than earned it, Jason."

JT's stomach dropped now, his heart still lodged somewhere inside the organ. _No._

He jerked and let out muffled cries once more, as the guard, Jason, ripped off Lisa's ratty pants, her shirt tearing as well, exposing her naked body for the room to see. He jerked and screamed, unable to do anything, as he watched that monster rape his six-year-old cousin. The guard paid no attention to her whimpering and pleas for him to stop. If anything, her cries seemed to invigorate him and spur him forward.

It felt like an eternity, he couldn't look away. When Jason was done, the other two guards took their own turns. Lisa's cries quieted a little over time, as she grew more and more out of it, on the verge of passing out from the pain. She was six, she barely even knew what was going on, just that it hurt so much. She wanted it to be over.

JT's eyes were streaming with tears, as Kodos watched, smiling.

The third guard stood up, though not before giving Lisa one last caress, his rough hand running from her undeveloped chest down to her legs, lingering in places that no man should be privy to, especially not with the girl in question being merely six years old.

The first guard, Jason, picked up the knife and went over to JT. He removed the gag from the teenager's mouth, but JT barely reacted, still staring at his cousin through the haze of tears.

Kodos' voice spoke to him, coming from right next to his ear. "She's broken, Jimmy. She can't live anymore. You can do it. Take her pain away. Take it all away."

Jason released him from the chains suspending him from the ceiling. JT dropped down, unable to stand on his own. He whimpered a little, and Kodos spoke once more, kneeling down as well so that he was eye level with the boy. "Kill her." His voice was soft and persuasive. "Kill her, and take her pain away."

The knife appeared in front of him, and JT looked at it, almost uncomprehendingly. He heard Kodos' words speak to him, telling him that it would all go away, if he just killed her. His hand reached out and grasped the hilt of the knife. He looked at Lisa once more, as his fingers tightened around the hilt. With an anguished cry, he twisted slightly in his position, and drove the knife deep into Jason's chest.

The guard's expression was startled, surprised, as he fell to the ground, letting out two more puffs of air before his eyes glazed over, and he stopped breathing.

The other two guards hurried over to restrain JT, but he wasn't fighting any more. He didn't care what happened to him now, but he had gotten the guard who had hurt his cousin the most. The other two would pay as well, but this one, more than the others, had been so excited to violate her, to hurt her. He would never hurt anyone again.

The guards strung JT back up, replacing the gag, before they also dragged Lisa into a standing position. She stood there, whimpering, only standing upright because of the hold the guards had on her. Her shirt hung off her shoulders, ripped wide open, and her pants lay in tatters around her feet.

Kodos walked over to her, and smiling genially, though there was a maniacal gleam in his eyes that anyone would be able to see. He ran a hand through her grimy hair, down to her chest, stopping around her waist, resting there for a moment. "Sweet girl," he murmured.

Lisa shuddered slightly, fearing the scary man in front of her.

Kodos' hand moved back up to her throat, hovering there gently, before a dark look crossed his face, and he began to squeeze tightly.

Lisa's gasps rang out in the otherwise silent room. The two guards moved back, so that Kodos' grip was now the only thing keeping her on her feet. JT moaned behind his gag, crying as he watched the man who had been so much to him wring the life out of his cousin.

It only took a few minutes for Lisa to stop breathing. When her still form crumpled to the ground, Kodos turned around and smiled at JT. It wasn't a pleasant smile though. It was dark and twisted. He moved over and rested a hand around JT's throat now. He squeezed tightly, though not as tightly as he had with Lisa. He jerked his head in the dead guard's direction.

"He was a pretty good guard," the Governor commented idly. His hand tightened briefly, and he smiled again at JT's gasp for air. "But it's a start."

And with that, he stepped back, and watched, still smiling, as the two guards left began to beat JT into unconsciousness.

JT had no idea how long it was before he blacked out, but when he woke up again, he was lying in a cell. Probably the same one he had originally been brought to, immediately after being captured.

His quiet groan brought the attention of the other people in the dungeon-like area they currently inhabited.

"JT?"

JT looked over, lacking the energy to actually move his body more than that. "Kev?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Kevin crawled over to the bars of his cell, looking at his leader with real fear. He bit his lip, and JT tried to muster up a smile, thought it came out as more of a painful grimace.

Not at all reassuring to any of them.

"Tom?" JT coughed slightly, wincing at the pain that racked through his chest. "Are you all right?"

Tom groaned. "It won't stop burning," he admitted, breathing in short bursts. It was getting really painful – not that it hadn't already been, but it was getting worse. It was probably infected by now, and he really couldn't see out of his left eye at all.

JT looked at his friend worriedly. Tom tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. He hated that JT was worrying about him. Truthfully, he knew that he wasn't the one who needed a doctor the most out of all of them. He had been hard-pressed to hide his alarm at seeing all the injuries littered across JT's body.

"Lisa?" Kevin whispered quietly, fearing the answer.

JT's face screwed up in pain, and a few more tears leaked out. "I'm sorry," he replied, shaking his head once. "I…"

Tom shifted slightly, unable to muster up the energy to move any closer. "It's all right, JT," he said soothingly. "You did everything you could."

JT sniffed, and closed his eyes. He knew that, no matter how long he lived – and it really was looking like less and less time, as the hours moved by – he would never forget his cousin's final moments. And he would never stop blaming himself.

No one said anything more, simply taking comfort in each other's presence. JT didn't actually think he had the strength to say anything more. He just turned his head back to the ceiling, dozing off and on for a while. The detached part of his brain was cataloguing everything, from the stomp of shoes he could hear down the hall, to the locations of Tom and Kevin in this prison – they had been separated, something he was sure had been done for a reason; Tom was two cells down on the same side of the room as him, while Kevin was four cells down on the opposite side.

Somewhere in his mind he noticed these things, but for the most part, everything was just too hazy to concentrate on anything in particular.

He wasn't one hundred percent aware of the guards taking him away, though Tom and Kevin certainly were, even if they couldn't do anything about it.

JT blacked out again. Was it just him, or did the black seem just a little bit deeper this time? He waited, in the oppressing dark. It was boring, after a while, but there wasn't much he could do about it, so he just… waited.

After a long period of time, or perhaps no time at all, he came to the rather startling conclusion that he wasn't alone.

He didn't know how he knew that, since he certainly couldn't see anything around him. "Hello?" he called out hesitantly.

No one came forward, but somehow, he heard a response. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. The voice was no more than a whisper, but he stiffened immediately. He recognized that voice. He had hacked into Starfleet's records and listened to his father's last transmission so many times, he would know that voice anywhere.

_Jimmy._

JT didn't say anything; he just looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It was several more moments of silence, before he heard it again.

_Jimmy, it'll be all right._

JT whipped his head around, but still couldn't see anything.

_You'll be fine, Jimmy. Just hold on. I love you._

He could feel the blackness lightening, and knew he was about to be dragged back to consciousness. "Wait!" he cried out, but it didn't help.

When he came back to awareness, he noted by the burning pressure in his arms that he was once more strung up from the ceiling. The pain almost made him lose consciousness again, and his vision blurred a little around the edges.

Kodos was there once more, but JT couldn't make himself concentrate on what the Governor was saying. A glance around showed him that Lisa's body was still lying in the corner of the room, and he had to look away.

The pain came in waves, leaving JT unaware of anything else. When the blackness came again, he felt more alone than the last time. The voice never showed up.

**XXX**

Captain Halloway gave a mental grimace as his helmsman announced their imminent arrival to the planet Tarsus IV. The _USS Seymour_ had been the only Starfleet ship within range when they had received a rather scrambled distress signal. It seemed to be a repeating signal, since his Communications Officer, Commander Grisk, had reported that it was incoming every five minutes. That in itself wouldn't be cause for the hurry they were displaying; however, shortly after they altered their course to make for the Federation colony on the planet of Tarsus IV, Grisk, informed him of a packet of information downloading to the ship's database.

The information had been heavily encrypted, and had taken the Commander – who had graduated at the top of his field – several minutes to untangle. His gasp of horror had drawn the attention of the rest of the Bridge, and with a shaky hand, Grisk had sent the information to the Captain's PADD for him to see.

Halloway couldn't believe it. He wondered who had sent them the data, and he hoped that, whoever it was, they were all right. Getting that information out could not have been cost free.

Famine. Genocide. Panic. That's what it boiled down to.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts as they dropped into position orbiting the planet. He would need to have his head in the game for this mission. He hoped to every known deity that they would find survivors on that planet.

He barked out orders to several members of his crew as he stood up. "Flynn, Pike, you're with me. Grisk, you have the con."

Lieutenant Roger Flynn, the senior Navigations Officer, and Lieutenant Commander Christopher Pike, senior Tactical Officer, stood up and followed their captain to the 'lift, while Grisk moved from his position to the Captain's chair.

**XXX**

Christopher Pike couldn't help but feel apprehension, as he met the rest of their landing party in the transporter room. Halloway chose that moment to brief them all.

"We don't know what we're beaming into," he said grimly. "All I know is that a little under six months ago, all the crops died. Food storages were contaminated, and people began to panic. From what I could tell from the information we were sent, the Governor decided to execute half the colony, to let the other half live."

Everyone in the room felt shock and horror at that, but Halloway didn't give them time to dwell on it. "We're going down there to arrest the Governor, and hopefully, to help the civilians caught in the crossfire. The _USS Yorktown_ and _Endeavor _should be arriving within the next few hours, but we're first on scene, so it's our job to secure it." He looked around at the group, nodded decisively once, and then stepped onto the transporter pad, followed quickly by the rest of the officers.

**XXX**

There was blood in the streets. Splashes of it dried and congealed on the paved roads.

The landing party didn't allow themselves to become sidetracked; there would be time later to process what they were seeing. The city square that they had beamed down to was deserted. It didn't stay that way for long, however, as several men appeared across the square.

The newcomers didn't seem to expect the company, and refused to halt to Captain Halloway's cry of "Starfleet!"

Phasers began to fire, and the officers returned the gesture in turn, as they ducked for the minimal cover they could find.

It was a few minutes before the return fire ceased, and the six members of the landing party hesitantly poked their heads out.

The perpetrators were down, stunned, so Halloway gestured for his men to follow.

When they reached the other side of the square, they all formed a perimeter, keeping their weapons in hand, just in case.

Chris poked at a phaser lying on the ground, separating it from the man who had been holding it. In the process, he made a rather unsettling discovery. "Their weapons weren't set to stun."

Halloway nodded, kicking at another phaser. "All wearing a uniform. Security, or guards most likely. Keep your weapons charged and ready. The Governor's Palace is that way." He nodded towards the gleaming white building. In the light of the afternoon sun, it practically shone.

Ensign Breen paused to handcuff the three downed men, before the party moved in the direction that was most likely to bring them face to face with the man responsible for this.

Chris and the others were even more unsettled as they approached the building. They had met no one else on their trek. Where was everyone? They only had the barest of details about what had happened, but there still should be civilians around, right? The information they had been sent indicated that four of the eight thousand colonists had been executed. Christ, they needed to get some answers.

A shout drew their attention to the entrance, and then they were taking and returning fire once more. A grunt to his right told Chris that Breen was down, though it didn't appear to be a serious wound, as the Ensign was still on one knee, firing back at the men… guards… in front of him. All of them were wearing the same uniform as the others they had encountered.

It took longer this time, but after several tense minutes, the fight was over, and their opponents down.

They tied up all the stunned men, before Halloway commed the ship, requesting another security detail to come down and take care of their prisoners. He then gestured for his team to head into the building.

"Spread out. Three teams, search the building. Keep in contact, and if you find anyone, bring them back here. Breen, how's your arm?"

The Ensign grimaced as Lieutenant Stebbins tied off the rough bandage around his upper arm. "Just a graze, sir. I'm fine."

Halloway studied him for a moment, then nodded. "You and Stebbins, form one group. Pike and Flynn; and Foster, you're with me. We meet back here when the teams from the _Yorktown_ and _Endeavor_ arrive." He met each of their gazes for a moment, and then turned and headed into the building. Lieutenant Foster followed him, and the other two teams headed in opposite directions.

This whole place seemed so wrong to Chris. It was so silent. They passed many doors and suites, offices where normally, the running of the colony would be taking place. This building was supposed to give the colony life, not kill it.

They didn't see anyone, as they stopped to open closed doors on their search. Down a level they went, and then it was more of the same. Empty rooms, and a feeling of _wrongness_.

It looked like someone had left in a hurry. There were chairs overturned, a couple pieces of furniture lying on their sides. But no people.

Where the hell was everybody?

_And that was my attempt at writing graphic scenes of violence. I hope no one is offended, and I hope I did it right._

_Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Many of you probably know Number One, from TOS. In every Star Trek wiki, it says she's human, but I'm fudging that a little. This is AU, after all. I looked up alien species in Star Trek that look like humans, and I made her an Argelian – well, I've decided she's half Argelian. Some of the species are known to have psychic abilities, but it's not common; I've decided that she's got some measure of empathetic ability. She can sometimes feel emotions, and it has helped her a lot, especially in diplomatic situations, but she's not a full telepath, so she can't hear thoughts or anything like that. Oh, and I also gave her a name – well, a nickname. Part of my making her nonhuman also gives me an excuse for her to have a name that not many can pronounce, hence why she's called 'Number One'. Or, to those who know her, 'Shay'. Sorry if my changing of canon offends anyone, but honestly, if you're offended, you shouldn't read a story that is clearly labeled AU. **

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Chris sighed and tapped his foot impatiently. They were wasting time here. He and Flynn hadn't gotten further than one level below the main entrance, when they had had to return to rendezvous with the rest of the team, and meet the new search parties, arriving from the _USS Yorktown _and _Endeavor_.

The new additions would be much appreciated, of course, but he wanted to continue exploring the building; he was hoping they would find someone who could tell them what the hell was going on.

It took way too long, but eventually, Chris was able to continue the search. Several groups were sent out into the city to look for survivors, while still more were tasked with searching the outlying farms. Chris and Flynn were joined by another pair from the _Yorktown_, and continued down several floors, to carry on the search they had already begun.

It was deadly silent as the foursome moved through the halls, their soft footsteps making the only noise as they went along. More empty offices were discovered, more furniture overturned.

After another hour of searching, they reached the bottom floor – or what they assumed to be the bottom, since the staircase didn't go any further down.

Flynn raised an eyebrow as they looked around at the setting. "This looks like… a prison, doesn't it?"

Chris nodded, and the other pair – Ensign Vilsom and Lieutenant Perry – shared a look.

The officers moved forward slowly, checking each cell as they passed. This prison seemed to be comprised of four separate sections, each block separated by a steel door, with roughly ten cells in each area. It wasn't until they were halfway through the second section that they finally found signs of life. There were four adults occupying four separate cells. Chris frowned, as they fired a concentrated phaser blast at each lock.

All four prisoners were able to communicate, and appeared to be relatively unharmed, beyond malnutrition, a few bruises and scrapes, and a couple of fractures or broken bones. Vilsom shepherded them back towards the staircase, as they could all walk on their own, and the other three continued on.

They found two more adults in the third section of this prison, both of whom could also carry themselves out, thankful to be released. Perry led them back up to the main floor.

It wasn't until they reached the final section that they truly were stopped in their tracks.

The boy lying in this cell wasn't moving. He was on his side with his back to the door. It was obvious that this one was much younger than the other prisoners, in his teens at the oldest. Perry and Vilsom had returned as they moved into the fourth section, and forcibly had to stop themselves from gasping at the sight in front of them.

Perry raised his phaser and fired a concentrated blast at the lock on the door. Disconnected, it swung open with a barely audible creak. The boy inside didn't move, but in the ringing silence, they heard a quiet intake of breath come from further down the hall.

Chris frowned, and gestured for Flynn to go with Perry to check it out, while he and Vilsom entered the open cell in front of them.

Moving around to look at the boy, Chris had to force himself not to throw up. He was unconscious, at the very least. Half of his face was bruised and swollen. There was a large gash that ran from his eye down to his hairline, and was oozing something yellow. Chris had to take a second look, just to make sure that the kid was actually breathing. He kneeled down and gently pressed two fingers to the boy's wrist, just to make sure. He felt a pulse, but it was weak. He was very surprised when the boy shifted in front of him. The eye that wasn't… damaged… opened just a fraction.

Chris tried to smile, but he felt it didn't come out right. "Hey there," he whispered, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm Chris. We're with Starfleet, so don't worry. You're going to be fine."

The boy swallowed harshly, and closed his eye briefly. "JT," he breathed.

Chris frowned. Was that the kid's name? The boy grimaced, and opened his eye again. "Find JT," he urged, his voice barely heard, before he lapsed back into unconsciousness.

Chris pulled out his communicator. "Pike to Medical."

The voice on the other end spoke up after a moment. "This is Doctor Boyce."

Chris spoke urgently, still keeping his grip on the kid's wrist, feeling reassured by the thready pulse. "Doctor Boyce, I have an injured kid here, looks like he took a phaser blast to the head. It's infected."

The doctor immediately replied, "Beam him up, I'll have a team waiting in the transporter room. Boyce out."

Chris bit his lip as he put the communicator away. Vilsom knelt down and carefully started to gather the kid up in his arms. He was so light, that it wasn't much of a challenge. "I'll take him outside so the transporter can get a lock on us. You keep searching."

Chris nodded, letting go of the boy and standing up. The pair made their way back out of the cell, meeting their fellow officers in the hall. Perry was holding a young boy in his own arms. He answered their questions quietly, trying not to jostle the kid. "He was a few cells down. His name's Kevin."

Perry and Vilsom went to get the kids checked out, leaving Chris and Flynn to continue checking cells. Flynn informed Chris about their meeting with Kevin as they moved along. "He didn't seem to be too hurt, beyond a few bruises and I think a broken arm, just starving. He was worried about someone though. He kept asking us to find JT. Is that the first kid?"

Chris frowned, thinking. He shook his head. "I don't think so. The boy woke up briefly, and asked us to find JT as well. I think we're looking for someone else."

Both officers immediately quickened their pace. The surroundings were creeping them out, and they wanted to finish their search and get back into the sunlight.

Through another door and towards the end of a dank, oppressing hall, they came across a door that looked different from the rest. It was reinforced with steel bars across it, but the lock just couldn't hold up against a concentrated phaser blast. As the door swung open, both officers had to take a step back at the wave of smell that billowed out. It was a mix of sweat, blood, bodily fluids, and… Chris once more had to force the bile down as he caught sight of the decaying body in the corner of the room.

But that wasn't the only body in this cell. There was another boy, about the same age as the first kid they had found, hanging from chains from the ceiling. He was wearing only a pair of ratty pants. His bare chest showed multiple gashes and bruises. His face was similarly injured. He was so skinny that Chris could actually see the outline of several broken ribs. His head was slumped down, chin resting against his chest, and Chris felt his heart thump painfully; he couldn't tell if the kid was breathing.

He moved forward, trying to breathe through his mouth, until he stopped next to the boy. He looked maybe twelve or thirteen, but with the lack of nourishment he had likely received over the last few months, he could be older. Chris frowned; there was something familiar about this kid. He had no time to think about it now, though, as he was more concerned with getting the boy down. He looked over at Flynn, who had found the lock on the chains, on the nearest wall. He nodded at his fellow officer, and turned his attention back to the boy. He felt bad about what he had to do, but if they wanted to get the kid down, he would need to make sure that it was as gentle as possible.

So he grasped the boy lightly but firmly around his waist, ready to support his weight. Even with the added pressure that had to be hurting, the boy still didn't move.

Flynn released the chains, and Chris immediately supported the boy's weight, not that it was much of a challenge; this kid was severely underweight. He lowered the boy to the ground, trying to be mindful of all his injuries. The safest way for him to lie seemed to be on his side, as there were many open and probably infected gashes on his back.

God he hoped the boy was alive, though based on the amount of injuries he could see, he wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't.

Once more, he found himself searching for that reassuring pulse. It took longer than it should, but after a few moments, he found it, thought it was much weaker than it should be.

He looked up at Flynn. "I don't want to risk moving him any more," he said.

Flynn nodded. "It's too dangerous. I'll call for a medical team with a stretcher."

Chris left him to it, hearing him call on his communicator in the background, as he turned back to studying the boy in front of him. He couldn't figure it out, but he felt like he should know the kid. Without thinking about it, he reached up and gently brushed the boy's blonde hair off his forehead. He started when he felt the kid shift and moan. His eyes opened blearily, barely cracked, as if he didn't have the energy to open them any further.

"Hey," Chris said quietly, bending down a little to get closer. The kid flinched a little, and it broke Chris' heart to feel him try and shift further away, putting some distance between them. Chris did his best to put the boy at ease. "My name's Chris. I'm an officer with Starfleet. Don't worry, it'll be all right."

Unfortunately, that didn't do much to lessen the tension he could practically see rolling off the kid in waves. If anything, it made him even more rigid. He shifted again, and then gasped, his eyes rolling back in his head as he lost consciousness once more.

"Shit," Chris muttered, once more trying to find a pulse. It was still there, but weakening rapidly.

He looked over at Flynn, who nodded. "A med team will be down here in a minute. I told them to hurry."

Chris nodded, biting his lip as he turned back to the kid in front of him. Why did he feel like he should know this boy? As he waited, he did his own mental assessment of the boy's injuries, with the limited medical knowledge he had that came from a long standing friendship with several doctors, including the three who were currently serving on the _Seymour_.

At least one, and probably both of his shoulders were dislocated from hanging from the ceiling. He had multiple gashes up and down his arms and legs that appeared to be too precise to be cause by anything other than a knife. There were several outlines of handprint shaped bruises around his neck. His back was covered in lacerations, and Chris saw a whip hanging on one of the walls. Now that he looked at that wall, his stomach clenched as he observed the tools that had been used to torture this poor boy. In addition to three different types of whip, there were several long rods of iron, a device that looked like it could fasten around a limb and be used to forcefully break a bone, and several knives of varying lengths.

He turned back to the boy, and catalogued multiple burns of varying degrees, more bruises covering most of his exposed skin, again, the outline of several broken ribs, and what he thought to be a break in the kid's collarbone.

Flynn kneeled down next to him. "How is he?" the lieutenant asked softly, unwilling to shatter the silence by speaking any louder.

Chris looked over at the other man. "He needs medical attention, and fast," he replied just as quietly. His hand was still resting lightly over the pulse beating weakly in the boy's wrist. He could almost feel something like a crack or a fracture underneath his fingers, but he didn't want to feel around for it, for risk of making it worse.

Looking at the boy was painful, so Chris turned his gaze away and studied this torture chamber again. His eyes were unwillingly drawn to the body lying off to the side. It was female, he could see, his heart squeezing painfully as he observed the girl's shirt ripped open. She wasn't wearing any pants either. Chris estimated her to be about five or six, and based on the level of decomposition, she had probably been dead at least a few days. Her eyes were glazed over, but it was easy to see the pain etched permanently on her face. She, too, had multiple lacerations to her body, probably made by the same knife that had caused the injuries to the boy. The worst part, though, was the dried blood and probably other bodily fluids staining the young girl's thighs. God, what had these two been through? And who were they? He looked back at the boy, feeling a little better as he watched the kid draw in a rattling breath. This one, at least, they could help. He went back to stroking the boy's hair gently, almost subconsciously.

His attention was drawn briefly when Flynn stood up and moved over to the small form of the little girl in the corner. He watched as the Lieutenant removed his gold shirt and placed it over the girl's body, covering her nearly naked form from view. When he turned back to see Chris looking at him, he shrugged, his eyes suspiciously bright. "She deserves some modesty."

Chris nodded, and turned back to the boy in front of him.

It felt like forever before they heard the sound of several people making their way down the long hall of cells. Flynn went to the door, holding it open so that the med team would know where to go.

Three people entered the room; Chris recognized Doctor Martin, one of the other two doctors assigned to the _Seymour_, along with two nurses, who carried a stretcher between them. He assumed that the CMO, Doctor Boyce, was busy with the first kid they had discovered.

Doctor Martin was hard-pressed to remain professional as he saw the situation he had been called down to deal with. In all his years of medical training, and his seven years of serving as a Doctor on board the _Seymour_, he had never seen anything so horrible. The kid looked so close to death. He had to take another look as he stepped closer, just to make sure the boy was actually breathing. The air rattled in his chest a little, and Martin immediately got to work, placing a breather on his mouth, hoping to get some more oxygen into his patient. That rattling indicated fluid in his lungs, but he couldn't do much in their current setting. He motioned for the nurses to bring the stretcher closer, which they did quickly, setting it to hover right at ground level, so that they wouldn't have to jostle the boy trying to lift him up. The three of them had to work together to move him to the stretcher, doing their best to avoid bumping any injuries.

Throughout it all, the kid remained scarily still. If it weren't for the slight fogging of the breathing mask they placed on him, and the quiet rattle of his chest, they wouldn't know if he was even alive.

Doctor Martin looked over at the other body, but Chris shook his head. "She's been dead a few days, at least," he informed the other man regretfully.

Doctor Martin nodded grimly, and without wasting any more time, the group rushed the boy outside so that the transporter could get a lock on their signals.

Chris and Flynn followed the medical personnel, even though they weren't really needed. They had completed their search anyway. Neither one really wanted to leave the boy; they wanted to make sure he would be all right.

Martin looked up at the two officers, and attempted a smile. "We'll look after him." He didn't promise that the kid would be all right, since he really didn't know that himself. But he knew those two needed some reassurance.

Flynn nodded and stepped back, but Chris still stayed where he was, staring at the unconscious form of a boy he really felt like he knew. In that moment, the kid shifted once more, his eyes blinking open blearily. His breathing hitched, speeding up, causing Martin and the nurses to lean in, crowding around as they tried to figure out what was wrong.

Chris frowned, his thoughts racing along as he pieced together a hypothesis. He stepped forward, pushing one of the nurses back so that he could stand right next to the boy's head. His hand tentatively rested on top of the boy's, causing him to look up, startled.

Chris attempted a smile, and then voiced his theory. "JT?" The kid stilled, his breathing still fast and erratic, but he wasn't moving around so much any more. _Point one to Chris_. He felt some pleasure in the fact that he had guessed right. "I'm Chris, remember?" The other nurse and Doctor Martin took a half step back, watching the Tactical Officer now with something akin to confusion. "You're out of that room, and these people are going to take you somewhere to make you better. Can you let them do that?"

There was a question shining out of the boy – _JT's_ – eyes, but Chris thought he understood, and he nodded. "We found the other two. Kevin, right?" JT nodded slightly. "And the other one, we don't know his name."

He paused briefly, as he saw JT's mouth form a word, though it wasn't quite readable, through the breathing mask. It wasn't that important at the moment, so he kept talking. "They're both being taken care of, I promise. Can you let us take care of you, now?"

JT looked at him, a long, measuring stare that had Chris reeling. In that moment, he suddenly remembered another pair of brilliant blue eyes looking at him much the same way. A stare that transcended time; that reached across nearly fifteen years to put him in his place. _Oh, shit_.

He didn't have much time to think about it though, as JT reached up to move the mask over his mouth slightly. Martin started in to stop him, but a raised hand from Chris halted his progress. JT only moved the mask a few inches, his eyes pleading with Chris, as he rattled off a series of coordinates. "Help them," he whispered, before his hand dropped, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

Martin and the nurses rushed forward again, as Chris was thrust back. His communicator was in his hand as he spoke to the technician in the transporter room. "Four to beam up, and let medical know we're coming in hot. Tell Doctor Clayton to meet us in Operating Room Two."

Chris watched in silence as the four disappeared, beaming up to the _Seymour._ Flynn stepped forward. "What was that he said to you?"

Chris frowned. "A set of coordinates, I think." He turned around, looking at his fellow officer. "I think there are more survivors. Those three may have been part of a group."

"What makes you think those three are separate from the other six we found in that prison?"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "The others were all adults, and in different sections. Call it a hunch."

Flynn nodded, understanding, and bit his lip, pulling out his own communicator now, telling the technician to beam them up.

Once back on the _Seymour_, Chris faced his friend and fellow command crew member. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

Flynn led him to the Navigations department, as he explained. "He gave you the coordinates, so let's figure out where it is, and how to get there."

At an open console, he typed in a few commands before turning to Chris and gesturing for him to enter the coordinates.

It appeared to be a location outside of the city. There weren't any signs of civilization nearby, though it was closer to a concentration of homesteads on the western side of the city then it was to the city itself.

The coordinates pointed to a mountainous area of the planet. There were forests nearby, and it looked like it would be a bit of a trek to get there.

Flynn studied the topographical map on the screen with an intensity that rather amused Chris. Though he figured, as the man's specialty was Navigations, it only made sense. After a few minutes, he stood up. "We should let the Captain know of this development, and probably get a team together to check it out."

Chris nodded, biting his lip. From an outsider's perspective, this would seem to be something of a wild goose chase, but he trusted JT's information. More than he probably should, but he just kept seeing those eyes, staring at him. Pleading with him. Eyes he hadn't seen in almost eleven years. Eyes he had once been so familiar with, coming from the face of his best friend, his onetime brother, and then later, for a short amount of time, a rambunctious toddler. God, what was he doing here?

James Tiberius Kirk. George's son. The boy he should have known all along as a nephew. The boy he had not had any contact with since Winona's marriage to Frank Malone, where she had informed him that he was to have no more contact with her family. What had happened? Why was Jimmy here?

Mutely, he nodded, and listened as Flynn requested the Captain's presence in Navigations as soon as he was able.

Halloway agreed, sounding a little confused, and while they waited, Flynn got himself another shirt.

Roughly five minutes later, the Captain appeared. "What do you have for me, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander?"

Flynn looked at Chris, indicating that he take the lead.

Chris took a deep breath, before he began to explain what they had discovered, touching on the first two boys, before he moved on to JT. "We still don't know who he is, or why he was there, but we have reason to believe that they were part of a larger group that may still be out there." He turned slightly and indicated the computer screen that still showed the area JT had given them. "He gave me these coordinates. It looks to be a location in the mountainous region. Perhaps a cave, or a clearing."

Halloway nodded slightly, furrowing his brow. "Just how much do you trust this lead?"

Chris bit his lip. "He had no reason to lie, sir. I think we should check it out."

Halloway gave his Tactical Officer a searching look, before he nodded once more. "You and Flynn take three more from Security. Radio contact, every five minutes. If you find anything, let me know immediately."

Chris and Flynn nodded, and the three of them made their way back to the transporter room to head back down to the planet.

Chris took a moment to look around once they materialized in the field outside the city. Things had changed since they had first gone down to take stock of the situation. Several tents had gone up; there were three medical tents erected off to the side, a food tent, and a command tent that Halloway immediately disappeared into. A few moments later, three security officers made their way over to Chris and Flynn, and the group of five wasted no time in heading towards the mysterious location they had been given.

After about an hour of hiking through the wilderness, Chris was starting to wish they had some sort of hovercraft that they could use. He was sweaty, and tired, and rather ruefully reconsidering the idea he had that he was actually in pretty good shape. Then again, this trek was mostly uphill, and they had to be careful to dodge trees, fallen branches, rocks, and other natural obstacles.

It was another hour before Flynn held up his communicator, conversing quietly with the technician on the other end. He looked up. "We're almost there," he informed the group.

Chris knew he wasn't imagining the sighs of relief that came from the security officers, and felt a grin threatening to break through. "How much further?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet on the off chance that there was anyone in the vicinity. His phaser was already in his hands, charged and ready to fire, just in case.

Flynn furrowed his brow for a moment, and then looked up. "About twenty yards," he replied, his voice just as soft.

Chris nodded, and took the lead, motioning for one security officer to cover their backs, while the other two continued on side by side, and Flynn dropped back behind him.

They moved in near total silence for another twenty yards, and were surprised when their path widened out into what could be called a clearing. On the other side was what looked like the entrance to a cave. There were no visible signs of life, but after a few seconds of silence, Chris heard a quiet whistle come from the direction of the cave.

He lowered his phaser, and called out, "Hello?" Behind him, he could practically feel Flynn questioning his sanity in making any noise. "We're with Starfleet, I promise, we're not here to hurt you." Still, there was no response. Chris took a deep breath. "JT sent us," he tried.

It took another few moments, but he was rewarded when two teenagers appeared at the entrance to the cave. One was a girl, the other a boy; both appeared to be in their teens, the girl perhaps two or three years older.

He moved forward cautiously, slowly holstering his phaser and holding out his arms in a nonthreatening gesture. He stopped halfway through the small clearing and waited.

After another minute of silence, the girl spoke up. "Is JT all right?" She sounded worried, and the expression on the boy's face was anxious.

Chris gave them a small smile. "We're taking care of him," he promised. "Can we come closer?"

The two teenagers looked at each other, and then the girl turned to face the cave. Chris couldn't see what she was doing, but he saw her nod before turning back around. She stepped to one side of the entrance, while the boy moved to the other. Chris looked back at the officers behind him, and gestured for them to lower their weapons, before he moved the rest of the way across the clearing.

He stopped short at the entrance of the cave, staring. There were at least fifteen kids inside, all watching him with various degrees of mistrust or hope. He turned to the two teenagers who had greeted them. "My name's Chris."

The girl looked at his outstretched hand for a moment, before tentatively reaching out to grasp it. "April," she replied.

Chris nodded, and turned to the boy now. His grip was very fragile. "Cory," he almost whispered. He let go of the handshake quickly, and looked up at the officer. "What about the others?" he asked fearfully.

Chris looked around at the group. They had all shifted closer, and he catalogued their movements, as well as the diversity – most of them appeared to be human, but he thought he saw an Andorian, a Deltan, and a Capellan as well. Not one of them looked to be out of their teens.

He turned back to Cory. "We found Kevin and another boy as well."

Cory's face crumbled a little at that. "Was there a girl there?" his voice cracked slightly.

Chris bit his lip. His mind flashed back to the room he had found Jimmy in. The girl in the corner. He nodded his head somberly. "We found a girl, but…" he trailed off, and glanced back at Flynn. Looking back at the kids in front of them, he could tell that the older ones understood. "I'm sorry," he said compassionately. "She was already dead." He didn't believe in beating around the bush, and he really didn't know how else to put it.

Cory dropped to his knees, moaning. "Lisa," he whispered, tears leaking from his eyes.

Chris furrowed his brow. April took a step forward, her gaze resting on Cory, her eyes pained. As she moved over to comfort the younger boy, she looked over at Chris. "His sister," she murmured, bending down and encircling the grieving teenager in a hug.

Chris felt his heart break just a little bit more. These kids had clearly been through the wringer. He really did not want to tell this boy what exactly his sister had been through. He hoped Cory didn't ask.

Another boy moved forward; he looked to be one of the oldest, in addition to the two in front of him, and another boy who was lying further back, though he was paying close attention despite not being as near to the action.

"Tom and Kevin are all right?" he asked, taking over for April, as she was too busy comforting Cory.

Chris sighed and felt his shoulders slump slightly. "Kevin had a few bruises and we think a broken arm, but nothing too serious. Tom, that's the older boy?" The teenager nodded, and Chris continued, knowing that the entire group was listening. "He's a little worse off; he had an injury that had become infected, but I promise, we're taking care of him," he hurried to assure them as he saw some of the younger kids start to cry.

The boy who was in front of him now bit his lip, looking down. "JT didn't want Tom to go with him. They had a run in with some guards a few days earlier, and Tom had a broken rib. JT tried to make him stay here, but Tom insisted." He smiled a little. "Tom's the First Officer. JT's the Captain." Chris smiled as well, and the boy continued eagerly. "Cory's the Operations Manager, and April's CMO." His smile faltered. "Anya was Communications. She… died, a couple weeks ago."

Chris' heart went out to the boy. To all of these kids. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

The boy shrugged. "JT said it was pneumonia. She and Percy got sick almost at the same time, but JT said Percy was just really weak." His voice lowered slightly. "He takes care of the younger kids, and JT said he was giving too much of his food away."

Chris couldn't help but notice how much this kid started sentences with 'JT said'. His conversation was interrupted by Flynn, who told him that they were going to go back outside and secure the perimeter. Flynn also said he'd update the Captain. Chris nodded, and turned back to the teenager in front of him. "So what's your role?" he asked curiously.

The boy bit his lip. "My dad was a doctor in the city," his voice broke slightly, telling Chris clearly that the kid's father hadn't made it. "I help April out. She wants to be a doctor. I don't, really, but my dad taught me a few things, so I thought I could at least be useful."

Chris nodded, understanding. He started to speak, but the boy just kept going. "I'm Kieran, by the way." He then began to introduce the other kids. Chris tried to keep all the names straight, but he knew he would need to be reminded again. He was surprised by the range in ages. April and Percy looked to be the oldest, though Kieran was close by, but there were two girls who couldn't be more than four or five.

He looked around at the group, and then back at Kieran. "We've got some tents set up outside the city. Do you think you'll all be able to make it down there?"

Kieran looked around. "Some of the younger ones might need to be carried after a while, and I don't think Percy can really walk," he admitted, "but the rest of us should be fine."

Chris nodded, turning towards the clearing outside and gesturing for one of the security officers. "Ensign Hill can carry Percy, all right? And we'll handle the rest."

Kieran and Ensign Hill nodded, the Starfleet Officer moving back into the cave to fetch the weak teenager. They spoke quietly for a few moments, before the Ensign picked Percy up carefully.

Chris looked back at Kieran. "Are you guys ready to go?"

Kieran turned to face April. She was still kneeling on the ground with Cory, but her attention was focused on him, as she nodded, and then began the process of getting Cory up. He was still crying, but there was a steely determination in his gaze that reminded Chris of JT… Jimmy. Clearly, Cory felt the need to be a leader right now, even though he was still reeling from his loss.

As they got the rest of the kids ready, Chris found himself standing by Cory at the entrance. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, looking down at the teenager.

Cory looked up. His eyes were bleak, but there was a quiet acceptance there. "She and Kevin ran off, maybe a week ago. JT figured out that there was a jamming signal preventing anyone from getting any messages out, so he and Tom went to go take it down. They never returned, and we were all worried." He sniffed. "JT told us to send out a distress signal every five minutes for as long as we could, but when he didn't come back…" He trailed off for a moment, thinking about those fear-filled days. "It was about four days after they disappeared that Lisa and Kevin ran away. I wanted to go search for them, and we did, a little, but April and Percy told us we couldn't get too close to the city. It was too dangerous."

Chris put a hand on the thin boy's shoulder. "It's not your fault," he assured.

Cory bit his lip. "I was supposed to protect her. JT protected us. He did his job. He got the jamming signal down. But I failed."

Chris shook his head. "You did everything you could, Cory. Blame Kodos. Blame his guards. But don't put this on yourself. This whole situation should never have happened, and you should never have been put in this position."

He was cut off as the other kids appeared ready to leave now; April and Kieran both carried two of the younger girls, and the rest were crowded around. Without another word, Chris smiled and led them out of the cave, meeting up with Flynn and the other two security guards as they made their way back to the temporary camp that had been set up outside the city.

The hike back took several hours, and Chris knew he wasn't the only one thankful for the sight of the temporary tents gleaming in the sun. He wasted no time in leading the kids to one of the medical tents, setting down the girl he had taken over carrying for April about halfway down the trail in the forest on an empty bed. Ensign Killian, who had relieved Ensign Hill of his passenger, followed him, and set Percy down on the next bed over.

"Kevin!"

They all looked up at Kieran's shout, and then over to the occupied bed in the corner. Chris had to smile at seeing the way the group of kids flocked to his bedside.

They all gave Kevin a hug, thankfully being careful not to hold him too tightly. Kevin was still groggy, the results of his tenure in Kodos' prison and the pain killer the doctor had given him, but his eyes were fearful and observant as he searched the crowd around him.

He found Chris, his taller frame making him easier to spot around the kids, and he seemed to recognize him. "JT?" he whispered, eyes wide and apprehensive.

Chris smiled as he came to a stop by the small child. "We're taking care of him," he replied, his voice quiet, using the same wording he had offered to the other kids. He wouldn't promise that their leader was all right, or that he would be all right, because the truth was, he didn't know. Jimmy hadn't looked so great the last time he had seen him. He hoped to any deity out there that the teenager would get through this, if only so that he could try and at least partially make up for not being there for George's son. And because he could tell that these kids needed to see their leader again.

Kevin seemed to relax slightly, trusting the man who had rescued them, and his body slumped down a little.

A few doctors descended on the large group, and in minutes, had the kids under their firm ministrations, diagnosing injuries and prescribing treatments.

Chris took a moment to look around the tent; in the time he and Flynn had been gone, more tents had been set up, as they found more survivors in the city and surrounding lands. A rough count from what he had seen coming in put civilians at around five hundred, maybe a little more or less, depending on how many were in other medical tents being treated.

Turning back to the kids now being given protein bars, he felt his smile widen. It was moments like these that he cherished. That reminded him why he had joined Starfleet in the first place. It wasn't always about exploring new civilizations. Sometimes, it was about the little things: a child's smile, knowing that he had helped to save a life. Knowing that he mattered.

He was about to leave, when he felt himself be tugged backwards. It was Cory, he noted, as he turned around. He wondered why the kid wasn't in bed, but didn't comment, simply raised an eyebrow.

Cory flushed a little. "Thank you," he said quietly. After a moment, seeing that the officer wasn't going to say anything, he elaborated. "For saving us. And thanks for saving JT."

Chris frowned minutely. "He means more to you then it would appear," he commented, his voice quiet, for Cory's ears only.

Cory bit his lip. His reply was just as soft as he looked up at the officer. "He's my cousin."

Chris' eyebrow shot upwards again. So it would appear that there were some people who knew JT's real name. He wondered how many were aware of just who it was they had on this planet.

Cory studied the older man carefully. The look in the officer's eyes wasn't curious, it was more… resigned. Like he knew exactly who JT was. He bit his lip and shrugged with one shoulder. "He used our last name. I don't think he wanted people to know about… you know." Chris nodded, and Cory's expression was suddenly pleading, his eyes wide as he looked up at the Lieutenant Commander. "Please don't tell anyone. JT doesn't want people to know. He spent so much time with Kodos before…" He faltered for a brief moment, before continuing. "Only Tom and April know his real name. Well, they know him as Jimmy Spaulding." His voice hitched as he thought about the other two who had known the truth. Anya… Lisa… A tear leaked from his eye and made its way down his cheek. "I know he knows more than he ever told us, but I also know he had good reasons for not sharing. JT's… he's a genius. He always had a plan, and I know that he has a lot more to worry about than the rest of us."

Chris nodded, smiling reassuringly. "I have no intention of telling anyone anything, unless JT tells me I can. I promise."

Cory relaxed, and let himself be dragged off by a doctor for some much needed nourishment.

Chris watched him leave for only a moment longer, before he turned around and exited the tent.

He stopped outside for a few minutes, looking around to see if there was somewhere he could help. Seeing nothing immediately visible, he headed over to the command tent.

Inside, he took stock of the situation. Flynn was in a huddle with Halloway and a few other officers, while more were scattered about the space. His eyes lighting on one individual in particular, he smiled, and moved in that direction.

"Hey," he murmured quietly, startling the young Lieutenant.

Lieutenant One, as most called her, looked up quickly, before she relaxed and smiled at her boyfriend. "I hear you've been busy," she replied, setting aside the PADD she had been concentrating on.

Chris nodded a little, looking back over his shoulder through the tent opening, over to where he had left the kids. "I really hope they're all OK," he said softly, turning back to his girlfriend. Most called her Number One, or Lieutenant One, if they were being formal. There weren't many who could pronounce the half Argelian's full name; those she considered to be friends called her by the nickname of Shay.

Shay smiled at her boyfriend's compassion. "We'll make sure of it," she assured him.

Chris smiled, before his expression changed to a frown. "Do you know what happened to the others we found in that prison?" he asked curiously. Other than Kevin, he hadn't seen any of the others.

Shay shook her head. "I don't, but I don't think I'm high enough to be privy to that information. The Captain is over there, though, if you want to ask him."

Chris nodded again. "Thanks," he replied. "I'll see you later, all right?"

Shay smiled. "Dinner?"

Chris reached out subtly and grasped her hand for a moment, squeezing reassuringly. "Sure. I'll find you later."

With that, he left her to go find out if Halloway had anything for him.

_Well, this is the longest chapter yet. I had to end it somewhere!_

_Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Doctor Martin and the two nurses beamed up with the kid, JT, as Pike had called him, and wasted no time in rushing him down to Medical, where Doctor Clayton was waiting with two more nurses. All were seasoned professionals, and showed no outward sign of reacting at the state the kid was in.

In a short time, they had him hooked up to the operating table, his stats displayed clearly above them. None of the numbers were reassuring to the doctors. His pulse was too low, his blood pressure was about to bottom out, he was clearly dehydrated.

Without wasting any more time, the doctors got to work, calling out instructions for the nurses as they went, requesting fluids, transfusions, and the like.

"Get me four cc's of… damn it!" Martin cursed as the monitor keeping an eye on the kid's heart rate wavered and then flat lined. The steady, unwavering tone filled the room, and everyone exploded into action, the nurses rushing to procure epinephrine, and ready the defibrillator. Martin and Clayton worked together with an ease that only came with a great deal of practice, trying to do everything they could to save this boy. Even beyond the fact that he was such a young victim, the manner in which they had found him suggested that this JT may be more important than they thought.

And over all their thoughts and their actions, droned that oppressing steady tone.

**XXX**

The rest of the day, Chris was distracted. He kept thinking about Jimmy, George's son, the boy he should have known as a nephew. His eyes, so haunted, so pleading. Accusing. He couldn't concentrate on anything else, knowing that Jimmy had been so hurt. He needed to know that Jimmy would be all right.

Halloway had Chris and Flynn join him as he went through the information they had been sent before their arrival to the planet. Mainly, they were studying the documents to try and get some sort of idea of who Kodos was, and where he might go. A ship had left orbit shortly before their arrival, and Navigations was trying to track it down, but they weren't having much luck.

Security officers were still searching the city and outlying lands, looking for survivors, but Chris could see that fewer people were being found as the day moved from late morning to early evening.

From what Halloway had found before Chris and Flynn joined him, a fungus had destroyed the plants and fields. The food stores had become contaminated, but what really made Halloway furious was the way Kodos had tried to solve the problem. He had used the racist, offensive, archaic profiling system of eugenics to decide which half of the colony could live, and which half to kill. From what they had found, many of the colonists that had been spared, had succumbed to starvation anyway. Other than the civilians they found living in the city itself, they had discovered several small groups living in the forests and mountains, and some of the rundown homesteads away from the city, but by far the largest was the group of children Chris and Flynn had discovered.

The total number of survivors climbed to somewhere in the vicinity of fifteen hundred by the end of the day, and based on the projected reports, he estimated that number to climb to somewhere between two and three thousand, give or take a few hundred, within the next few days. Already they had requested at least three more relief ships to help get the survivors off the planet. The three starships currently docked just outside the orbit of the planet would not be nearly enough to deal with almost three thousand civilians.

The rest of the day dwindled, as officers came and went from the command tent. Halloway disappeared a few times, leaving Chris and Flynn to continue their research. Security officers stopped by, as did a few nurses. The officers from all three ships currently on location mingled together as they worked to assist the survivors of this horrible tragedy.

Genocide. That's what it was, Chris thought ruefully. It wasn't a tragedy. It was a goddamn massacre.

A weight settled on his right, and Chris looked up, startled.

Halloway smiled softly. "Get back to the ship, Chris."

Chris furrowed his brow. "Is everything all right, sir?"

Halloway nodded. "You're exhausted. It's been a long day. You're off duty starting now. Go back to the ship, get some dinner, and then get some sleep."

Chris thought about protesting, but decided it really wasn't worth it. Now that he looked around, he realized that the tent was almost empty around him. Even Flynn had left, somewhere around half an hour earlier. The constant hum of voices that he had been hearing all day was muted now, indicating that the colonists, nurses, and doctors were settling down for the evening as well.

He looked back at Halloway. "Yes, sir," he agreed, setting down the PADD.

Halloway began to clear up the desk they had been working at. "There'll be a staff meeting tomorrow morning, 0900, right here. I'll see you then."

Chris nodded. "Yes, sir," he said again.

Halloway stopped him right before he walked out of the tent. "You did a good job today, Chris."

Chris felt his mouth twitch slightly in an attempt to smile, but he was just so exhausted that he couldn't manage it. "Thank you, sir," he replied, some of his fatigue seeping through to his voice.

With that, he headed back up to the ship. A glance at his watch told him that he had completely missed dinner, and he knew that Shay would most likely kill him later, but the truth was, he really hadn't noticed how much time had passed while he had studied those files. He knew that she would understand pretty quickly; after all, she had seen the survivors as well. Even if she hadn't seen the state of those nine prisoners they had found, the rest of it was more than enough to want to personally find and kill whoever was responsible.

When he beamed into the transporter room, Chris paused for a moment. He stepped off the platform, and headed for the door with a tired nod to the tech who was on duty that evening.

Once out in the hallway, he considered his options. He could go to the mess and get something to eat, but the thought of food right now just made him ill. He could go to his quarters and get some rest, but he knew he wouldn't actually be able to sleep. He could go to Shay's quarters and beg forgiveness, but she was surely asleep by now.

No, there was really only one place he really wanted to be right now. His feet carried him to Medbay without him being consciously aware of his actions. Before he knew it, he was standing in the doorway of the sterile space. There were several people bustling about, but the rushing madness of earlier in the day was gone.

No one had noticed the Lieutenant Commander, so Chris decided not to alert anyone to his presence. Instead, he just headed back to the CMO's office. The door was open slightly, so Chris walked in after knocking once.

All three doctors assigned to the _Seymour_ were present, with Boyce and Martin halfway into a bottle of what looked to be a top of the line Scotch. Chris figured that Doctor Clayton was on duty for the night, which would explain why he wasn't drinking as well.

No matter where he served, Chris always made it a point to get to know the doctors on the ship. It was just good sense, after all, in case he needed any medical attention. These three men were good friends of his; he had gone to the Academy with Clayton, and Admiral Archer had introduced him to Boyce back when he had just graduated. Doctor Martin had treated him a few times when he had gotten into some situations while at the Academy, and they had struck up a friendship. The doctor had been completing his residency at Starfleet Medical at the time, volunteering at the clinic on campus during his off hours.

All three looked up at the intrusion, and without saying anything, Martin immediately picked up a third glass, filling it more than was strictly necessary for a single serving of Scotch, but Chris had seen the state of JT, same as him. He figured the Tactical Officer would need it.

Chris nodded thankfully, picking up the glass and downing the drink in one gulp, before he sat down next to Martin on the couch. He fiddled with the glass in his hands, remaining silent for a few more minutes.

"How is he?" he asked eventually.

Martin and Clayton shared a significant look, before Martin replied. "Alive."

A simple one-word answer that really didn't reassure Chris at all. He raised an eyebrow, and Martin sighed.

"It was touch and go for a while, and honestly, I'm not sure what'll happen in the next few days. A lot will depend on the kid's will to live. He's in a bad way, Chris. Multiple broken bones, second and third degree burns, lacerations covering roughly sixty percent of his body. He was whipped, beaten, drugged, _tortured_. Someone carved him up with a knife. He flat lined, three times, in surgery."

Chris felt his heart drop at hearing the doctor's report.

Boyce leaned forward slightly, seeing the emotions written clearly across his friend's face. "Chris, the key word there is alive. He's holding on."

Chris nodded, looking up at the CMO. "What about Tom?" Boyce looked confused, and Chris belatedly remembered that they hadn't known the kid's name when they had gotten him out of that prison. Apparently, no one had passed that piece of information on after they had learned it. He almost smiled. "The kid we beamed up first, with the head injury. His name's Tom. Apparently, he was JT's First Officer."

"XO?" Clayton asked curiously.

Chris actually did smile now, remembering the group of kids who were still so youthful, even after over five months of pain, hunger, and fear. "This group of kids we found. They had a whole command team and everything. JT was the captain, Tom the First Officer. There was an Operations Manager, Communications Officer, a CMO… it was rather well organized."

The three doctors chuckled as well. Boyce glanced over at his now closed door, thinking about the kid he had operated on, feeling the amusement leave him. He looked back at Chris. "He took a phaser blast to the head. Honestly, it's just sheer dumb luck that he was still alive when you found him. A couple centimeters to his right, and he would have been killed instantly. As it is, there's nothing I could do for the eye. I cleaned the wound and started him on some serious antibiotics for the infection, but he'll have a nasty scar. But I'm a little more optimistic about his condition then JT's."

Chris nodded. Focus on the positives. Both kids were alive. "Can I see JT?" he asked hesitantly.

Boyce considered. Technically, he probably shouldn't allow it. But he could see that Chris wouldn't be able to rest until he saw with his own eyes that the kid was still breathing. He let out a deep sigh, setting his glass down on the desk as he stood up. "Come on," he replied as an answer, leading the Lieutenant Commander out of the office.

Chris followed quickly, keeping half a step behind the CMO as he was led to the back of Medbay. There were private rooms set up there, for the more serious cases, or special circumstances. Boyce hesitated briefly when they arrived at one closed door. He looked over at his friend. "Chris, it's not pretty, I won't lie to you. Just focus on that steady beeping. That's his heart rate, and that beeping means he's hanging in there."

Chris nodded, steeling himself for what lay beyond that closed door.

Boyce pushed it open, and then stepped aside, letting the younger man gain entry.

Chris stopped just inside the threshold. Behind him, Boyce shut the door, leaving Chris and JT all alone.

Boyce was right, Chris thought ruefully. It wasn't pretty. He saw three separate tubes leading from various bags into JT's arm. There was a tube sticking down his throat. Chris figured that his condition must be serious enough to warrant some more old-fashioned medical attention. Normally, doctors shied away from constant medical drips, preferring to use hyposprays. And inserting tubes to help patients breathe hadn't been used regularly in about a hundred years, though he knew that it still was a viable medical practice, in extreme circumstances.

JT's chest was bare. In the harsh overhead light, Chris could easily see bruises peaking out from underneath the sterile white bandages that covered most of his torso. The blanket came up to his waist, hiding his legs, but his arms were resting on top of the linens, showing more lacerations. These already looked like they had undergone the dermal regenerator, and appeared several weeks old. His left wrist was in a cast, making Chris wonder why they hadn't started healing the broken bones with modern day medicine.

There was a chair conveniently located by one wall. Chris dragged it over to the bed and almost collapsed into it with a sigh. "Hey, JT," he said quietly, not really sure why he was speaking, or what he should even say. He had read a few medical articles that debated the idea of whether or not people who were unconscious could hear those who spoke to them. He didn't know if JT could hear him, but he figured it couldn't hurt. A glance behind him showed that the door was still closed.

Still, wary of any potential eavesdroppers, Chris leaned forward, his voice dropping in volume even more. "Jimmy. I don't know if you can hear me, though maybe that's what's making this easier right now." Chris let out a half snort, weak chuckle. "It's Chris, in case you don't remember. But I'm sure you probably do. I could tell how special you were, when you were younger. You used to call me Uncle Chris." Chris sighed, feeling the threat of tears sting his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Jimmy. I should never have let your mom force me away. I wanted to be there for you and Sam, and I failed."

He stopped talking then, and settled back in the chair. One hand found its way to JT's, resting gently on top, mindful of his injuries. The steady beeping in the background was soothing to Chris, and without really thinking about it, he let the sound lull him to an exhausted sleep.

**XXX**

It was Martin who found him the next morning, shaking him awake with a small smile on his face.

Chris blinked groggily, moaning at the crick in his neck, a pain that could only come from sleeping in a chair all night. "What time is it?" he mumbled, rolling his neck to try and alleviate the stiffness.

Martin chuckled. "0800," he replied. "I thought I should wake you up before the staff meeting, so you could get some breakfast. I know you didn't eat dinner last night."

Chris raised an eyebrow, standing up and hiding the wince as he felt every bone in his body pop. "How do you know that?" he asked curiously.

Martin's expression grew serious. "I don't think anyone who went down there yesterday ate anything. I know I couldn't, not after seeing what those colonists went through."

Chris nodded, understanding. Truth be told, he really wasn't that hungry now, but he knew that he needed the nourishment. He looked over at JT. The teenager looked a little better this morning; there was some more color in his face, and even with a tube, he seemed to be breathing a little easier.

Martin jerked his head towards the door. "Come on," he said, leading the Lieutenant Commander back out into the main room of Medbay. "We've got some food in Boyce's office, you can join us."

Chris smiled his thanks, and he and Martin joined Boyce for breakfast. Clayton was nowhere to be found, so Chris assumed he was off duty now, and probably catching up on some much needed rest.

"Why haven't you done anything about JT's broken bones?" Chris asked curiously as he picked up a bowl of fruit and served himself, before grabbing a piece of toast. He figured something light might settle his stomach more than the pancakes and bacon he saw sitting untouched on the tray. He smirked internally. Apparently he wasn't the only one thinking that way.

Martin sighed. "Chris, I've treated you enough to know that you know what osteoregenerators do. It's not a magical cure, they basically force the body to heal the bone in a condensed amount of time. Until the kid's more stable, we can't risk putting his body through that amount of stress. For right now, we've set the bones and casted the arm to start them on the healing process. Once he wakes up and gains some strength, we'll proceed to heal the bones, but for right now, it's the best we can do."

Chris nodded, feeling bad for putting his friend on the defensive unintentionally. "I get it, and I'm sorry for sounding so demanding."

Martin smiled a little. "It's all right, I know you're worried."

They finished breakfast in silence, before Chris left with Boyce to beam back down to the planet for the staff meeting. Martin would have to remain behind, as Clayton was off duty, and Boyce, as the CMO, needed to be at the meeting.

Materializing in the middle of their makeshift tent-village, Chris looked around him with interest. There was a mess tent set up off to one side, with many colonists packed inside or sitting around it, eating breakfast. The medical tents were closed off, but Chris knew that they were pretty full as well. He glanced over to the tent he had left JT's group at yesterday. He didn't see any of the kids, so he assumed they were either in the mess, or still in bed.

He and Boyce were early, as they entered the command tent. It had changed a bit since Chris had left last night. All of the temporary desks had been pushed to one side, and in the middle of the tent there was a large table set up. Halloway was already seated, staring at a PADD with a look of concentration on his face.

Chris separated from Boyce with a nod and a half smile, and slipped into a seat besides Shay, who was seated next to Flynn, as representatives of the Navigations department on the _Seymour_.

Shay ignored him as he sat down, and Chris winced. Yeah, he deserved that. "Hey," he whispered, shifting in his seat so that he was facing her more head on. She didn't reply. Chris sighed. "I'm sorry about last night," he tried. Still nothing. "I lost track of time, and it was really late when the Captain found me still going over files down here."

Shay let out an inaudible breath of air. It was so hard to stay mad at him when he used that tone of voice. "You weren't in your room last night," she shot back, her voice just as quiet.

Chris sighed, folding his hands in his lap. "I went to Medbay to check on the kid we found, and I fell asleep by his bed. I really am sorry, Shay."

It was Shay's turn to sigh. Damn her mild empathetic abilities. One of the rare gifts of Argelians were psychic capabilities; as a half Argelian, she had inherited a mild form of the talent, in the ability to read cursory emotions. Chris was feeling guilty, and worried, and afraid.

She reached over and grasped his entwined hands in hers, squeezing gently, glad that their hands were out of view under the table. She smiled at him. "It's all right, Chris. I'm all right. I know yesterday must have been hard for you."

Chris nodded, feeling a knot in his chest come undone as he relaxed slightly. Any reply he would have made was cut off by the arrival of several more groups of people.

Now that he looked around, he realized that the tent had filled up quite a bit in the last few minutes. He recognized Commander Grisk, the head of Communications and First Officer for the _Seymour_, and Lieutenant Commander Cragen, the Chief of Security. There were several nurses and doctors that had taken charge of the health of the colonists. The new arrivals appeared to be representatives from the _Yorktown_ and the _Endeavor_. He recognized Captain Mercer from the _Yorktown_, and nodded a greeting, which was returned in kind. He also saw Lieutenant Vilsom and Ensign Perry from the _Yorktown_, and jerked two fingers up in a facsimile of a wave.

Soon enough, everyone was seated, and Captain Halloway called the meeting to order. "All right, let's do this in an orderly fashion, shall we?" There were a few nods from those seated around the table. Mercer and the _Endeavor_ Captain, Donaldson, focused on the PADDs in front of them, looking over the information Halloway had shared with them yesterday.

Halloway cleared his throat. "First things first. Doctor Karakas, what's the status of the colonists?"

Doctor Karakas shifted in her seat. "Most of them are suffering from malnutrition. There are a few more grievous injuries, but overall, nothing too serious. The more complicated issues are arising between those survivors who were found in hiding, and those who were still living in their homes. There seems to be some resentment. We're still trying to identify all the colonists."

Halloway nodded, touching the screen of his PADD a few times. "Teams from Communications are on it, but I've just sent you two lists, Doctor, you should be able to use them for identification." He paused for a moment, before sighing and deciding to go for broke. "Several of you are already aware of this, but before our arrival yesterday, we were sent a packet of information that had detailed plans that appear to have been formulated by former Governor Kodos himself. Everyone here is now under Starfleet Order Twenty-Three, Section Two. Discussing anything spoken about inside these walls with anyone will see you dishonorably discharged and brought up on criminal charges, is that clear?"

Everyone nodded seriously, understanding the seriousness of the situation. Order Twenty-Three was effectively a gag order with serious repercussions if broken. Enacting it truly impressed upon them the gravity of the moment.

"Among that file were two lists. Using eugenics, Kodos split the colony in half, and executed roughly four thousand colonists that he deemed unworthy to live. From the numbers we're getting, many of those who were spared in the massacre died of starvation anyway." His voice sounded tight and angry. "Some of the other files indicate very detailed plans. From what I've read, I believe that Kodos knew what was happening before it actually happened."

"But why?" Lieutenant Commander Cragen asked, trying to keep the disgust off his face. "If he knew there was a problem, why not do something to combat it?"

Halloway sighed again. "I have no idea. Commander Grisk, how are we coming with the trace of the data? Do we know who sent it?"

Grisk shrugged a little helplessly. "Honestly, sir, I'm not sure how much further we'll get. We traced it back to a computer at the Governor's Palace. Whoever sent it to us covered their tracks well. All of the security cameras have been wiped, so we can't use that angle. I don't think we can get any more specific than what we've already got."

Halloway nodded. "Keep trying, and let me know if you find anything. Navigations, how are we coming along with the trace of that ship that left orbit before we arrived?"

Flynn grit his teeth, looking frustrated. "We can't find it, sir. It headed off towards the Delta Quadrant, but beyond that, we can't trace it."

Halloway nodded again, frustrated. "Someone, please give me some good news."

Captain Mercer chuckled humorlessly. "I spoke with Admiral Archer last night, we should have three more relief ships here by tomorrow morning."

That was sort of good news, and Halloway desperately needed something positive. "I'll take it," he replied drearily. There were a few more chuckles at that, indicating just how raw most of them felt. It really wasn't that funny, but seeing the tragedy around them was rubbing them the wrong way.

"Doctor Boyce, report?"

Boyce looked at his Captain. "They're all stable for now, and I expect a full recovery for most of them."

Halloway glanced around the table and saw some confused looks. "This falls under Order Twenty-Three as well." His voice was even graver than it had been before. "Upon searching the Governor's Palace, Lieutenant Commander Pike, Lieutenant Flynn, Lieutenant Vilsom, and Ensign Perry discovered nine prisoners being held in the lowest level. We've spoken with many colonists, but no one can give us a good picture of what Kodos even looks like. Communications tried to look through security footage, but as Grisk said, all tapes have been wiped, so we have no way to identify Kodos or his guards. These prisoners appear to be the only ones who can positively identify the former Governor."

"Do we know why they were incarcerated in the first place?" Captain Mercer asked curiously.

Halloway sighed yet again. He had been doing that a lot lately. "No," he admitted. "Doctor Boyce, have any of them told you anything?"

Boyce shrugged. "A couple of them told me they were imprisoned for stealing from the official stores of food, or causing trouble with the guards. I think it's similar for all the adults. The kids, I'm not sure, but something tells me there's a different story there."

Halloway nodded. "How are the kids?"

Boyce shrugged again, this time a little helplessly. "JT and Tom are both holding on, but they're pretty seriously injured, so only time will tell. I will keep you updated, sir."

Halloway spared a small smile for his CMO, before he turned back to Doctor Karakas. "How are the kids on the planet?"

The doctor shifted in her seat. "They're all asking for Tom and JT," she admitted. "I wasn't sure what to tell them, so any information you can give me would be really helpful."

Boyce nodded. "We'll talk after this meeting," he assured her.

She looked a little better at that. "The little boy, Kevin, hasn't said much. He's definitely one of the worst injured of that group. Mostly we're just dealing with malnutrition. One of the older ones is too weak to walk, but he should make a full recovery. They're all sticking together, not interacting with any of the other colonists."

Halloway sighed, yet again. "Lieutenant Commander Pike, what do you think?"

Chris looked at his captain, confused. "Sir?" he queried for clarification.

Halloway raised an eyebrow at his chief Tactical Officer. "You were part of the team that found those kids. What do you think about their lack of interaction with others?"

Chris bit his lip, considering. Underneath the table, Shay squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Don't force it," he advised. "They've been through a lot over the last few months, and being with each other is comforting. I think they'll all feel a lot better once they know JT and Tom are all right. Those kids formed a really close knit group, and those two were their leaders, so I think it's pretty natural for them to be worried."

Doctor Karakas nodded her understanding. "They're all pretty resilient," she observed. "But they're clearly worried about their friends. I think if I tell them JT and Tom are OK, they'll calm down."

Halloway leaned forward. "The little boy, Kevin, is he still with them?" Karakas nodded again. "He's a witness, maybe we should consider moving him to the _Seymour_, with the other eight."

Karakas shook her head. "I'm not sure that would be the best idea, sir," she admitted. "Right now, he's getting comfort from the rest of their group. If we move him, it might just be detrimental to his health."

"But he could also be in danger," Halloway argued. "He's seen Kodos' face, and we haven't cleared the whole colony yet. Until we know where all the guards, and Kodos himself, are, we have to prepare for the worst."

"Why don't we ask the kids?" Chris asked. He almost laughed at the way everyone turned to look at him, as if they hadn't even considered the idea of asking the witness what he thought. Chris elaborated, "I think we can all agree that Kevin is not just a young child any more. He's been through a lot, I think the least we could do would be to ask him what he thinks. And the rest of those kids would probably protect him with all they've got, they deserve to be informed of the dangers."

Halloway appeared to think about it for a few moments, before he nodded. From there, the meeting moved on to various other topics, such as continuing relief efforts, organizing the evacuation of the planet, and contacting family members for any orphaned minors; once more, conversation lingered around the group of kids, as they didn't know last names for most of them. Chris debated with himself about telling them he knew who JT was, but couldn't make himself do it. Not until he talked to the teenager when the kid was actually awake and able to contribute to the conversation. He felt so guilty for just letting Winona push him away, he knew he would do anything to make it up to the boy. And if Jimmy asked him not to say anything, he wouldn't. He wouldn't tell anyone that the son of their beloved Federation hero, the son of his best friend, had witnessed the genocide and madness of former Governor Kodos. He had heard some officers calling him the Executioner the day before. It definitely fit.

Each department was given different tasks, and the meeting broke up shortly after.

Chris went with Halloway and Doctor Karakas to speak with Kevin and the other kids. They were worried for their young friend, but adamant that they would take care of him.

Halloway didn't seem too pleased, but he accepted their decision, and left to return to the command tent.

Doctor Karakas moved off to help a nurse who was having a problem with another colonist, leaving Chris alone with the kids.

"Do you know anything about JT and Tom?" April asked quietly, fear evident in her eyes.

Chris smiled tightly at the girl, knowing that his expression probably wasn't putting them at ease. "They're both hanging in there," he replied. "I can't tell you much more than that, but they're doing all right."

There was a collective sigh of relief from most of the kids, but April, Kieran, and Cory didn't look completely convinced.

Chris made a halfhearted excuse, before he turned around and left the tent.

"Wait!"

The Tactical Officer turned around, surprised. April, Kieran, and Cory had followed him outside; they stopped in front of him, looking even more nervous than he felt.

April bit her lip. "What weren't you telling us back there?" she asked bluntly.

Chris raised an eyebrow. April shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Look, Mister Starfleet man, I understand you wanting to spare the younger kids, but we're old enough, and we need to know the truth."

Chris sighed and nodded. His posture slumped slightly. "They're both… pretty bad," he admitted. Cory sucked in a breath, but none of them said anything. Their fearful expressions spoke louder than any words could. "I think the biggest concern with Tom is the infection. He took a phaser blast to the head, and the doctor says he will lose the eye permanently, but he really is holding on. They've got him sedated for now, I don't know when they're planning on trying to wake him up."

"And JT?" Cory asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.

Chris sighed again, wanting to comfort this boy who had already lost his sister, and might lose his cousin as well. "I think the doctors are more worried about him," he replied honestly. "He's pretty badly injured, but I think he'll be fine."

"Really?" Kieran asked, hope coloring his voice.

Chris smiled again, this time a little more naturally. "I saw him this morning, and I really think he's improving. I'm not a doctor, so I really can't give you any technical jargon, but try not to worry too much. You've got others depending on you, and they need you."

They all nodded, understanding, and returned to the medical tent and the rest of the kids, while Chris went back to work. He was still tasked with going through the documents they had been sent for any information, while Flynn had been reassigned to the Navigations team, having been brought up to speed by the officers in his department who had already been working on the problem of tracking what they assumed to be Kodos' ship.

Chris was alone for most of the day, reading through the reports. He suspected it probably wouldn't have taken as long if he hadn't had to take multiple breaks, just to get away from the mind of what was clearly a sick individual.

It was long passed lunch when Chris stumbled upon a short document, labeled 'special handling'. It was attached to the same section of the file as the two lists of colonists that Kodos had made, but easily overlooked in the face of the length of the other two, and did nothing to lesson the tension curling in his stomach. The writing was rather disjointed, reading more like random notes rather then a put together essay. Swallowing harshly, he read.

_Needs a more delicate approach… trained well under me, but he still thinks too much about the lesser civilians… found a fungus… starting to get suspicious… will be a problem… causing trouble for patrols… with the right effort, he can be broken… will be a commendable asset… he will answer to me and me alone… cares too much about others… weakness… will be his downfall… I will break him…_

There was a line break, and then more writing.

_Too much effort… not worth the time… he will suffer for his terrorism… he will pay…_

Chris had to stop reading. He set the PADD down harshly, drawing a few pairs of eyes to him, but he ignored them. Suddenly, the tent felt much too small.

With a shaky breath, he stood up, taking the PADD with him as he left the tent, needing some air.

He had some answers, and even more questions. Was Kodos talking about Jimmy? What did he mean, that Jimmy found a fungus? And what suspicions? God, Chris needed Jimmy to wake up. He wasn't doing too well, and he needed to reconnect with the kid he had once thought of as family. One of his only remaining links to George.

_Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: not mine**

It took almost three days for the relief ships to get their act together. The _Farragut, Trepid, _and _Hathaway_ arrived in time for them to participate in a meeting aboard the _Seymour_, between the command staff, with the inclusion of the Captains and First Officers from the other ships, and the Admirals back at Starfleet Headquarters, on Earth.

After almost four hours in which Chris had to forcefully keep himself from falling asleep as several officers droned on and on, it was agreed that the _Seymour_ would take most of the more severely injured colonists back to Earth. This assembly of survivors would include the group of children, or as Chris had begun calling them in his head, 'Jimmy's kids'. He was happy with this arrangement, because it meant that they would be on the same ship as their leader, who had yet to regain consciousness. Tom was progressing more rapidly, and at the meeting, Doctor Boyce had informed them that they had taken him off of the medication that was keeping him in an induced coma, so he should be waking up soon.

Once Admiral Archer had pulled his rank card and told them all how it was going to go, most of the arguing fizzled out, and Chris gave a small sigh of relief. Next to him, he could tell that Flynn was equally thankful, and if he had to hazard a guess, Captains Halloway and Mercer were also getting quite fed up with all the back and forth bickering of the various crewmembers.

When the meeting was over, Chris made his way down to Medical. He had spent a good deal of time over the last couple of days sitting by Jimmy's bedside, holding his hand, or doing some work while he watched over the boy. He hadn't been there for the last eleven years, and look what had happened.

Sometimes Doctor Boyce or Doctor Martin would come and spend some time with him, reassuring him of JT's progress. His color was looking good, though they still had him on transfusions to deal with the blood loss, and his pulse and blood pressure were still a little low, but on the whole, it was much better then either doctor could have hoped for. They had slowly been weaning him off of the heavy-duty painkillers, hoping that he would wake up on his own. That had taken some trial and error, and a few panic-filled moments, when the kid went into anaphylactic shock after they administered some of the more common painkillers. Apparently JT was allergic to a large number of medications the doctors would normally use, which only made their job harder.

A few days after the three new ships arrived, the _Seymour_ beamed up a group of colonists that included all of Jimmy's kids, as well as roughly twenty others who needed more serious medical attention. They were adding two more doctors, on loan from the _Yorktown_ and the _Endeavor_, to deal with the number of civilians that required medical attention.

The _Seymour _left orbit roughly six hours later, setting a course for Earth at warp three, which would have them arriving in approximately one and a half weeks, faster if they pushed the engines harder, but Halloway wasn't quite willing to take that risk unless they had to.

The first thing Chris did once they were on their way was check on the kids; Halloway had had security block off two Observation Decks for the colonists. They were both set up something like Red Cross centers; the adults had taken one deck, and, on the advice of Chris and Doctor Karakas, Halloway had kept the kids together, and separate from the other civilians.

Upon entry to the Observation Deck, Chris was immediately swarmed, as the kids spotted him and clamored for information. He chuckled lightly, and held up his hand. "One at a time," he implored.

April was the first one to speak. "How's JT?" she asked.

Chris sighed. "Still unconscious," he told them. He winced at the way the group collectively wilted at the information.

"How long will it take for us to get back to Earth?" Kieran asked, after a few moments of silence.

Chris cleared his throat. "A little over a week. Which reminds me, we're going to have someone from Communications speak with you all at some point over the next day or so. We're trying to locate any family you may have, so that they can meet you in San Francisco, or if necessary, arrange for further travel when we dock."

They all nodded, and Chris smiled. "I'll let you know as soon as I have more information on JT, or if anything else comes up that I think you should know about. Now, I think it's getting late, so you should all get some rest. April, Kieran, Cory, could I speak with you outside for a minute?"

The three nodded, and looked over at Percy first. While still weak, he was able to move about for short periods of time now, though he tired easily. He inclined his head, silently telling them that he would look after the others, so the three followed Chris out of the room.

Chris nodded to the Security officer assigned to watch over the group for the night, and led the teenagers to the 'lift. Once inside, he explained a little further. "I know you're all stressed out, and tired. I just thought you might want to see something, before you go to sleep."

He refused to say any more, and instead, led them out of the 'lift when the doors opened, and down the hall to Medbay.

All three kids felt their hearts hammering painfully as they entered the room. Chris led them over to a bed in a secluded corner. The person lying on it was covered to the chest in a clean white blanket; half his face was swathed in bandages, but the uncovered eye was open halfway, indicating that he was at least semi conscious.

"Tom!" April exclaimed softly, mindful of the location they were in, as she ran to his side.

Tom groaned and turned his head slightly. He attempted a smile that came out as more of a grimace. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't get words to come out.

Kieran and Cory quickly joined April at Tom's bedside. "How are you feeling?" Kieran asked softly.

Tom shrugged with one shoulder, and winced. As soon as he got the pain that flared up at his movement down to a manageable level, he looked back over at his friends. His eyes sought information, but he knew better than to try to speak again. Every time he took a breath, he felt like a hot poker was being shoved down his throat.

Chris came up behind the teenagers, and smiled down at Tom. "You probably don't remember me," he started, but stopped when he saw Tom nod his head slightly, recognition in his gaze. He mouthed a single word, his eyes pleading. Chris sighed, knowing that Tom was asking about his friend. "JT's here," he promised. "He's still unconscious, but we're taking care of him." He paused for a moment, and was relieved to see that Tom relaxed slightly. "Now, why don't you get some rest. The doctors think you might be all fixed up by the time we reach Earth, but only if you listen to them so that you can get better. Can you do that?"

Tom nodded slightly, and settled back on the bed. His uncovered eye was already drooping shut.

April looked over at Chris. "Thank you," she whispered.

Chris smiled at the trio. "One more stop, and then I'll take you back to the Observation Deck." He then led them towards the back of the room, where there were several closed doors. He opened one of them and stepped aside.

Cory was the first one through the door, and his half gasp, half cry caused the other two to hurry through the entrance to see what had distressed their friend.

They all gasped at the sight in front of them. JT had regained some color, so he no longer looked like a ghost, but he was still too pale. Fortunately, his chest was covered in bandages, so the teenagers couldn't see all the injuries. Just the ones on his face, arms, neck, and shoulders.

Cory looked at Chris, tears in his eyes.

Chris nodded towards the stats that flashed at them from above the bed. "Hear that beep?" He waited for them to nod, before he continued. "That's his heart rate, and it means he's alive. He's hanging in there. I just wanted to show you that. I might not know him like you do, but I can see that he's a fighter."

"How bad is it, really?" April asked, her eyes glinting with determination. Chris knew she wouldn't accept anything less than the truth.

He sighed. "He's in a coma," he admitted quietly. "But the doctors say there's still brain activity, so there's no reason to lose hope. He's still in there."

"Will we be able to come back?" Cory asked, tears in his eyes.

Chris smiled slightly and nodded. "I'll make sure of it," he promised. "Now, let's get you back so that you can get some rest, all right?"

They didn't look too thrilled, but they all said goodbye to their leader, their friend, and let Chris lead them back to the Observation Deck.

Cory held back as the other two entered the room, hesitating as he looked up at Chris. "Can I talk to you?" he asked softly, stopping the Lieutenant Commander from leaving.

Chris nodded, and turned back.

April paused in the doorway, looking at Cory. He jerked his head towards the room. "Go on," he urged her. "I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded hesitantly, and left him alone with the Starfleet Officer. Chris jerked his head at the Security officer keeping watch, and obligingly, the man headed back in the direction of the 'lift, giving them some privacy.

Once they were alone, Cory took a deep breath. "You said you were trying to find our families. What if we don't have any?"

Chris bit his lip. "We'll try to find someone, and if we can't, I believe any minors would be placed into the foster care system." He frowned. "Why?"

Cory took a deep breath. "I don't think JT and I have anyone," he admitted, looking down at the floor.

Chris tilted his head in consideration. Cory looked genuinely worried. He glanced around the corridor, making sure they were alone, before he spoke, his voice quiet, mindful of the delicate nature of the information he held on Jimmy's life and identity. "I know that Jimmy's mother is serving on the _Antilles_, but I'm sure Starfleet will contact her and –"

"No!" Cory cut him off, louder than intended. He looked around, making sure the Security officer wasn't coming back and no one else was in ear shot, before he spoke again, this time much softer. "I overheard Aunt Winona talking to my parents before JT came to live with us. She doesn't want him. You can't make him go back there!"

Chris furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously, resting a hand on Cory's shoulder to reassure him.

Cory bit his lip, a few tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "She told mom to 'take the damn brat' so that she and her husband wouldn't have to deal with him. And he lived with us for eighteen months. Aunt Winona never once commed us. She doesn't care about him. Please, don't send him back," he pleaded.

Chris nodded quickly. "I won't force him, Cory. I promise. All I want is for him to be happy."

Cory looked up, sniffling. "You never said how you know him," he commented idly, the implied query obvious.

Chris sighed. "His dad, George, was one of my best friends. When Winona remarried, she told me to stop coming around. I haven't seen him in eleven years. I had no idea things were so bad."

He sounded so broken, that Cory had to believe him. He nodded. "I understand," he said, sounding much older than his thirteen years. "But I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Chris smiled. "You know, you remind me a lot of Winona, before George died. The woman she turned into, the one who ordered me to stay away from her family, I barely recognized her. She used to be such a loving, down to Earth, determined woman who cared about her family above all else. You've got a lot of the same fire in you. I imagine Jimmy does as well."

Cory shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. "JT's the only family I have left," he admitted, his voice choking up with tears. "I want to protect him the way he protected all of us."

Chris chuckled slightly, understanding. "I admire that. Now, it's getting late and I'm sure April is waiting for you. I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

Cory smiled and nodded. He waved a little before heading to his makeshift bed.

Chris watched him leaved, and spent another few minutes lost in thought, staring absentmindedly at the closed door to the Observation Deck, before he gathered himself, and made his way to his own room. Just because they were no longer in residence above Tarsus didn't mean their work was over. Communications was still working on compiling next of kin for their civilian passengers, Command wanted reports ASAP, and would be pulling them into a series of debriefings as soon as they docked at Earth, so they needed to have their shit together. Chris had a lot of work ahead of him, but for right now, he was utterly exhausted, it was late, and he needed some rest.

**XXX**

True to his word, Chris made sure the kids were able to visit Tom and JT. He wouldn't let all of them go at once, but over the course of the next couple of days, he took them in groups of three and four to visit for a few minutes. Just to make sure they knew their leaders were all right. They hadn't seen them in several weeks, and the younger ones were almost hysterical at not knowing what was going on with their savior. Just seeing JT, even if he was unconscious, settled them all down.

It hurt Chris' heart, to see the way his best friend's son lay on that biobed, so still. He remembered Jimmy, the rambunctious toddler. The kid who wouldn't stop moving. This teenager was so different. He hated himself for not being there to watch Jimmy grow up. He hated himself for listening to Winona, for leaving Jimmy and Sam to deal with their mother and new stepfather alone.

Chris knew he wasn't strictly following protocol in allowing the kids to see Tom and JT, but he wanted to help them. And they needed it, especially Kevin. The young boy had barely said a word since being rescued from that cell. His eyes were so sad, so world weary, so _old_. It looked so wrong shining out of the face of a six year old. It was worth any reprimands he may face from Halloway, to see the way Kevin's expression went from fearful and depressed to happy and joyous, as soon as Cory carried him into JT's private room. Cory rested him at JT's bedside, and the boy immediately grasped the teenager's hand, squeezing with all the might a six year old could.

Cory was choking up as well, as he noticed JT's hand shift, ever so slightly, as the boy in his arms held on for all he was worth. "JT?" he whispered, covering Kevin's small hand with his own, his calloused fingers wrapping around both hands as his eyes watered.

Chris, watching from the doorway, moved forward quickly, looking at the stats beeping above the bed. He couldn't make heads or tails of them, but he didn't need to be able to, to see that something had changed in JT's status.

He looked at the two boys at JT's bedside. "We should leave," he told them, gesturing for them to exit.

Cory nodded reluctantly, and picked Kevin up, heading out the door in front of Chris.

They crossed paths with Doctor Boyce, who was heading towards JT's room at a swift walk. Boyce nodded to Chris as he passed, before disappearing into the private room.

Chris brought Cory and Kevin back to the Observation Deck, and left with a promise to tell them what was going on as soon as he knew anything, before he headed back to Medbay, and spent the next thirty minutes waiting impatiently for Boyce to emerge from JT's room.

Finally, the CMO reappeared; he didn't seem surprised to see Chris still there, and jerked his head towards his office.

Chris didn't need another invitation, and immediately followed the doctor.

"How is he?" he asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

Boyce sighed, slumping down into the chair at his desk and rubbing his face with his hands. "He woke up briefly," he said. Chris' expression lightened at that. Boyce looked up, and smiled. "It's a step in the right direction, but he still has a long way to go," he cautioned.

Chris sat down on the couch. "Tell me," he all but ordered.

Boyce snorted. "The kid's got spirit," he admitted. "Barely awake for thirty seconds, and already telling me to stick my hypo where the sun don't shine."

Chris laughed at that. "I knew I liked that kid."

Boyce shook his head. "As for how he is, physically, he'll recover. I can't get rid of all the scars, but there should be no lasting damage."

"That's something, at least," Chris acknowledged.

Boyce looked at him sharply. "Mentally, I really don't know. The Captain will want to speak with him at some point, but I'm not really sure if I'm going to be able to give an accurate guess as to when he can handle it. The kid's lived through hell. Even more than that, he looks like hell chewed him up and spat him out. Halloway's a good man, but he's not really known for his compassion."

Chris nodded. "Well, you just do your best, and I'm sure if JT doesn't want to talk, he won't. He'll answer any questions when he's good and ready."

Boyce sighed. "But will Halloway accept that?"

Chris had no answer.

After a minute of silence, the Lieutenant Commander stood up, shaking himself off. "I'll let the kids know what happened. I'm sure they'll all be thrilled."

Boyce smiled. He had seen how much those kids looked up to JT. He hadn't been so sure about all the visits, but even he had to admit that they had looked much better after just getting a glimpse of their leader.

The CMO stood up as well. "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow morning."

Chris nodded. "Will you let me know if anything… changes? With JT?"

Boyce furrowed his brow. He knew Chris was fond of the kids, but he wondered now if there was something more going on. The Tactical Officer seemed strangely attached to JT. He didn't say anything though, and just inclined his head in assent.

**XXX**

The meeting that took place the following morning was fairly straightforward. Mostly they were preparing for their imminent arrival to Earth.

Grisk gave his report for Communications, informing the command crew of their progress in locating family members for the civilians. "We've been able to find family for most of the older colonists," Grisk told them, "and about half the minors. We contacted the Andorian, Capellan, and Deltan ambassadors to Earth, so they will take charge of Sha'al, Trina, and Navan. The only ones we haven't been able to speak with are JT and Tom. One of the other kids gave us Tom's last name, so we're running it down, but none of the other kids seem to know who JT is, or if he has any family."

Halloway nodded. He looked over at Boyce. "Doctor, how are JT and Tom doing?"

Boyce shifted in his seat. "Tom is improving rapidly. He is remarkably adept at hiding his pain, though, so I will keep him in Medbay until we dock." He coughed to clear his throat, and glanced towards Chris. "As for JT… well I do have some good news there." He paused briefly, before smiling a little. "He woke up briefly yesterday. I am confident that he will recover, physically, but I doubt it will happen by the time we reach Earth. I've been in contact with Doctor Puri at Starfleet Medical. We will be transferring both boys there as soon as we dock."

Halloway nodded. "We'll have to coordinate for an armed guard." Boyce almost looked like he wanted to protest, but Halloway kept speaking. "I know it's not ideal, but the kids are witnesses. They'll both need to be debriefed as soon as possible. Doctor, I trust you will let me know when I can speak with them?"

Boyce didn't look too happy about it, but nodded curtly.

From there, the conversation moved on, and soon enough, the meeting was adjourned.

**XXX**

Two days later, JT woke up for more than thirty seconds. Chris and Shay were in medbay at the time – Chris talking with Tom and one of the Communications officers about Tom's family, and whether or not they could meet him in San Francisco, and Shay had had to escort a colleague to the infirmary when a computer had an unfortunate malfunction in the Navigations department, causing an explosion that resulted in three minor injuries, one major, and a blackened mess where the console used to stand.

A loud beeping drew most eyes in the room towards the back of the bay, and Boyce rushed forward, entering JT's room quickly. A moment later the beeping ceased, and most people looked away, returning to the tasks they had been working on beforehand.

Chris and Shay shared a significant glance across the room. He had told her a lot about the teenager – without telling her how he knew the kid, of course – and she was looking forward to actually meeting the boy in person. He sounded like a very interesting person.

Chris broke the moment with his girlfriend a second later, as Tom sat up stiffly, looking at the door he knew hid his best friend.

The Lieutenant Commander attempted to reassure the teenager, but he knew Tom was still worried. So was he, to be honest, but he was trying not to show it.

Shay moved over to stand next to him. "I hope everything is all right," she murmured, still staring at the closed door at the end of the bay.

Chris nodded, biting his lip, but he didn't speak.

A few minutes later, Boyce reappeared. He stood there for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before he looked around. His gaze caught Chris, standing by Tom's bedside, and he jerked his head towards his office.

Chris nodded again, and looked down at Tom. "I'll let you know what happened," he assured the boy. He then looked over at Shay.

She smiled at him. "I'll stay here and keep Tom company," she answered his unasked plea.

Chris inclined his head once, relieved, and hurried to meet the CMO.

Inside his office, Boyce was once more seated behind his desk, looking utterly exhausted.

"How is he?" Chris asked by way of greeting, as he entered the office, the door closing swiftly behind him.

Boyce looked up, startled. He was clearly running on fumes, but given that they had so many civilians in need of medical care on the ship, even with all the extra help he had, he was still stretching himself thin. He sighed. "The kid woke up again. He freaked out a little, since no one was there, and he didn't know where he was."

Chris sat down. "Is he doing better?"

Boyce rubbed a hand across his face, sitting back in his seat. "Physically, he's healing a little faster than I would have thought. I wanted to sedate him again, but he really doesn't want to be put back to sleep." He shrugged a little helplessly. "As much as I believe it would do him some good to get as much rest as possible, I really couldn't say no to those eyes."

Chris sat up a little straighter. "What about his eyes?" he asked, trying to keep any hint of alarm out of his voice. He had recognized them, but he didn't think anyone who didn't know George very well would be able to do the same.

Boyce looked at him, a little confused. "Even if he didn't say anything, the look in his eyes was so pleading, I just couldn't sedate him."

Chris nodded, relaxing. "Can I see him?"

Boyce grimaced. "Not too long, Chris. See if you can get him to sleep. You've spent a lot of time with him over the last week, even if he hasn't been awake for it, so maybe you'll have better luck than me."

Chris acknowledged the doctor's request, and wasted no time in making his way back to JT's room. The route was familiar by this point, and he maneuvered his way around nurses, patients, and biobeds. He entered the room quietly, making sure the door was firmly closed behind him.

He leaned against it as he observed the teenager lying in front of him.

JT stared back defiantly. His bright blue eyes judged him silently, observing, watching; waiting for him to make a move.

After several minutes, Chris shifted his stance slightly, though he made no move to come any closer. He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure if you remember me. My name's Chris." He paused as he saw JT nod slightly, recognition in his steely gaze. He licked his lips as they suddenly went dry. "How are you feeling?"

JT shrugged with one shoulder, and then grimaced. His eyes never left Chris' face, but the coldness lessened a fraction. "Tom?" he whispered. It felt more like he actually couldn't speak louder than that, rather then consciously choosing to speak softly.

Chris smiled lightly. "He'll be fine, though he did lose the eye. He's here right now, I'm sure the doctors will let you see him soon."

JT nodded a millimeter, trying not to let the massive headache he had show. He had learned the hard way, a long time ago, never to show weakness. "The others?"

Chris took a few steps towards the bed, making sure to stop a respectable distance away, so JT wouldn't feel crowded. Even so, he noted the slight tensing that the teenager tried to hide. "All on board. They're all fine," he reassured the teenager. He saw JT relax even more. "We're heading back to Earth now. We should arrive in about five days."

JT bit his lip, looking back up at the ceiling. Chris didn't break the silence, he just grabbed the solitary chair in the room and dragged it towards JT's bedside. He sat down and waited for the teenager to speak.

JT did so, a few minutes later. He had woken up earlier, hearing alarms going off, loud beeps that just confused and slightly frightened him. Then a strange man had been there, speaking too him in unintelligible words. He couldn't make out what the man – a doctor, he presumed – was saying, but after a minute or two, the alarms stopped, and he calmed down. Once the noises stopped, he was able to understand the doctor a little better, and he definitely recognized the word sedative. He wasn't able to get any words out – his throat felt like a scorpion had laid a nest in there – but his eyes pleaded with the man not to do it. He certainly wasn't expecting the doctor to give in to him. He wasn't used to adults actually listening to him, or trusting him in any way, but he was grateful.

And then another man had come in. He introduced himself as Chris, and his words indicated that they had met before. Searching his – rather hazy – memories, he vaguely remembered someone finding him in that room. He had been let down and released from the chains, and he remembered a soft voice speaking with him. That man had called himself Chris too, hadn't he?

He looked back at the officer sitting next to him. There was definitely something familiar about him. But it was more than just a man who had rescued him. The memories were coming back now, and he recalled giving this man, Chris, the coordinates to find the rest of his kids. He was glad that the officer had found them, and gotten them all to safety. But there was something about his face…

His eyes widened slightly, and his breathing sped up. When he had been six, he had been trying to hide from Frank, who was in a rage after hearing that Winona had decided not to come home for a shore leave, choosing to stay and work extra shifts on board her ship instead. He had found himself in the attic, hiding amongst piles of boxes and trying not to sneeze from all the dust. Countless forgotten memories surrounded him, and, bored, he had taken to exploring the memorabilia. There were medals and commendations, pictures and holos, letters, and old toys, amongst other things.

He had spent the entire day up there, looking through his father's life. Holos and pictures showed him a man that was a friend to many, but there was one man who reappeared quite often. He seemed to be younger than George Kirk by several years, but it was clear that the two were close friends. He saw the two dressed in Academy Cadet uniforms, laughing over beers at a bar, soaking up the sun on a beach, running alongside his older brother in a field...

One particular picture had caught his interest. He saw his parents, both of them, alive and happy. They were leaning up against an old pick up truck, and he recognized his house in the background. His father was holding onto a younger Sam – maybe three or four. Winona was beaming, as her arms curled protectively around a noticeable bump at her abdomen.

On George's other side, the younger man stood, his expression clearly one of enjoyment and happiness to be included in such a wonderful family. On the back of the picture, a caption labeled the people involved. _George, Winona, Sammy, and baby Kirk, and Chris Pike_.

JT drew his mind back to the present, to see Chris standing over him, looking down at him worriedly. "JT? JT? Come on, Jimmy, calm down. Deep breaths."

JT gasped lightly and started to breathe normally again. He coughed and winced at the pain that flared up.

As soon as he had himself under control, he focused back on Chris. "What's your last name?" The officer standing next to him was older and more worn, but he looked like the same man. And moreover, he was pretty certain Chris had just called him Jimmy. But still, JT had to be sure.

Chris almost collapsed back into his seat. He sighed. "Lieutenant Commander Christopher Pike." He paused. "JT, do you remember me?"

JT bit his lip. "You were in pictures with my parents." It was a revealing statement, but his expression and tone of voice gave nothing away.

Chris almost winced, but kept himself from showing any emotions. He nodded austerely. "I was good friends with your mom and dad, once upon a time," he admitted.

JT furrowed his brow. There was sadness in the man's voice, but he could also detect a hint of anger, though he didn't think it was directed at him. He had had to get pretty good at reading people's voices, so that he would know when to duck. "What happened?" His voice was still calm, though inside, his stomach was churning. This man had known his parents, had been pretty good friends with them, if all the pictures he had found in the attic were any indication. So why had he suddenly disappeared? Why hadn't he visited at all? He had clearly known Sam. So was Jimmy just not worth it?

Chris felt a few tears prick at the corners of his eyes. Never had he felt as guilty over listening to Winona as he did now. He sighed, and glanced back at the door to make sure they weren't about to be interrupted, before he turned back to JT. "I'm so sorry, Jimmy. I used to visit you and your brother a lot when you were younger. When your mom married Frank, she told me that she never wanted to see me on her property again. She practically ordered me to stop coming around, and she's your mom, so I listened." He waited for a response, any response, but when none was forthcoming, he slumped down in his seat a little. "I am so sorry, Jimmy. I loved you so much, from the first moment I met you. You were such an energetic baby. I shouldn't have listened to her, I just…"

He trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.

JT mulled through this new knowledge for a minute. Was he angry? Yeah, but strangely enough, not at Chris. He could understand why the man had disappeared. He hated that his mom… no, she had never been one. She was Winona, a woman who showed up from time to time, but hardly ever spoke to him and never looked him in the eye. He hated that Winona had taken away what seemed to be a chance at having someone care about him.

When the silence stretched on, Chris shifted slightly. "I should have fought harder to stay, Jimmy. But she was your mom, I didn't think I had a right. I know I'm about eleven years too late, but do you think you'd be able to trust me at all?"

JT studied Chris' almost desperate expression closely. He could tell that the officer in front of him really wanted to be a part of his life. The problem was, he had gone so long without trusting anyone, he wasn't quite sure how to anymore. Sure, he trusted Tom, and Cory, and the rest of his kids, but that was different. He had just started to think he could trust Hoshi, Marie, and Terry, and then they had died. How was he supposed to let a virtual stranger in? And yet… something told him that letting Chris in wouldn't be a mistake.

He bit his lip and shrugged with one shoulder, this time being careful not to jostle his still healing ribs and collarbone. "I don't know," he replied quietly.

Even if it wasn't a positive, Chris was still heartened. He had a feeling if Jimmy wasn't interested at all, he would have said it. He nodded, and stood up. "You just think about it, all right? And I'm here, if you want to talk, or if you need anything."

JT nodded, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a facsimile of a smile. Chris started to leave, but JT called out, stopping him before he could open the door. "Wait." Chris turned around. "Please don't tell… no one can know…"

Chris nodded quickly, understanding what JT was saying. "I promise, Jimmy. I won't tell anyone, until you tell me I can. Now, I told Doctor Boyce I'd try to get you to sleep, so why don't you try to relax a little. I'll see if I can sneak some of the kids back in later."

JT nodded, relaxing into his bed, and Chris left the room. He stopped by Tom's bed briefly, to inform him of his friend's status. Tom looked incredibly relieved, and his eye began to droop soon after, so Chris gestured for Shay to leave, promising Tom that they would return later.

Once they were out in the hallway, Shay asked her boyfriend for a more detailed update. Chris smiled. "He's going to be fine. We talked a little, and he was coherent. I think he's in a lot of pain still, but he's not really the type to show it."

Shay grasped his hand briefly, as they reached the 'lift. "He seems like a tough kid. I'm sure everything will work out." She paused. "Is Doctor Boyce going to call Communications? They still haven't spoken to him about his family, have they?"

Chris shook his head. "He was starting to fall back asleep when I left, but I'm sure Boyce will let the Captain know when he wakes again, so I'm sure Communications will sort it out." He didn't say anything about the fact that he knew JT didn't have anyone to take care of him. Well, unless you counted his stepfather, but Chris really didn't want to see Jimmy go back to Frank. Even without his own misgivings, from what Cory had said, he didn't think it was a good place for Jimmy. Frank Malone had not given him a good feeling, the few times he had been in contact with the man, over a decade ago.

They entered the 'lift together, and separated on different decks, to return to their own jobs. Shay went back to the Navigations department, and Chris went to go talk to his own department to get an update, before he had to be back on the Bridge.

_Please review!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: not mine**

It was times like these when Chris was really thankful that he was such good friends with the doctors on the _Seymour_. Boyce let him know as soon as Halloway and Grisk appeared in medbay the next morning, causing Chris to immediately abandon his path to the Bridge, and head down to Medical instead.

He couldn't decide whether to laugh or grit his teeth as he entered Medbay. The Captain and First Officer were standing by JT's bedside, while Boyce watched with a neutral expression on his face.

JT's expression conveyed nothing but contempt as he stared at the two men hovering over him.

"For the last time, kid, we're just trying to help. Tell us your name."

"JT," the teenager replied in a bored monotone. "You already know that."

Grisk frowned. "Your real name. My name is Jonathan Grisk, senior Communications officer aboard the _USS Seymour_. I need your name so that I can track down any family members you may have."

JT snorted. "Good luck," he muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.

Halloway sighed. "Kid, we need to know what happened to you. If you can help us find Kodos, why don't you want to?"

JT stiffened, and Chris winced. That was not the best play the Captain could have made.

JT was now glaring at Halloway, and Chris smirked internally. If he knew Jimmy at all, the kid had to have more than a little of his father in him. Which meant Halloway was about to get a piece of the teenager's mind.

He wasn't wrong. "Seriously? That's the best you got? Don't you guys have to take courses in dealing with people or something? You just showed up six months late for a massacre of four thousand people that ended up killing over a thousand more afterwards, and you have the nerve to ask me for help? But I guess that's Starfleet's MO, isn't it. Show up for the cleanup and the funerals, but too late to actually be of any use. Screw you, asshole."

Chris wondered where Jimmy got his information from, and was rather impressed. He was pretty well informed, considering he had been in a coma for days, and hadn't left his biobed or talked to very many people since waking up.

Halloway clenched his teeth, but forced himself to stay calm. "You've been through an ordeal," he acknowledged. "But you seem to have good instincts. The children in your group credit their survival to you. In a few years, Starfleet would love to have you." Chris knew the Captain was trying to endear himself to JT, and maybe flatter him a little, but Chris knew that he had just made things worse.

Sure enough, that was even worse than asking him for help finding Kodos.

JT's eyes flashed. "A recruitment speech now? Seriously? Fuck off. Not interested. I want to do something important with my life."

His tone was mocking, but it had the desired effect: Halloway and Grisk left without another word.

Boyce shook his head, and observed JT's vitals for a moment more. Then he sighed and focused on the teenager in front of him. "Try not to let your heart rate get up too high again. I understand your… frustrations, but you're still healing."

JT nodded, his eyes tracking the doctor's every movement.

Boyce turned around and gave Chris a significant look before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

When they were alone, Chris took a seat next to JT's bedside. He didn't speak, just observed the teenager. After several minutes of silence, JT finally spoke. "He deserved it."

Chris nodded austerely. "He did," he acknowledged.

JT growled. "I don't like him."

Chris snorted. "He's a Captain, Jimmy. Sometimes that means he has to be the bad guy. He's not, always, but he's also a big picture kind of guy."

JT shrugged, glad he could do it now without hurting. Doctor Boyce had started him on the first of many rounds with the osteoregenerator that morning, and his collarbone had been the first bone he'd healed.

Chris sighed. "Jimmy…"

JT stiffened slightly. "Jim," he cut in quietly.

Chris stopped, confused.

JT bit his lip. "Jimmy's dead." His voice was soft, and there was a spark of something – grief, or sorrow – behind his too blue eyes. "I just… I'm not him anymore."

He wasn't even sure if that made sense, but Chris didn't ask any more questions, and just nodded. "Well, I don't think you did yourself any favors with Halloway, but I was impressed. You're going to be fine, Jim. If you don't want to talk to them, then don't. I won't try and change your mind."

JT actually almost smiled. It transformed his face, Chris thought, and for the first time, when he looked at Jimmy… Jim, he saw a kid. A fourteen-year-old teenager, not an adult in a child's body, a leader with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

A knock on the door signaled the arrival of someone else, and Chris turned around in his seat in time to see Boyce enter the room. "Chris, you should probably get back to the Bridge."

Chris winced as he remembered his destination before Boyce's call that had him diverting his attention to Medbay. He nodded, and Boyce left them alone once more.

Turning back to JT, Chris stood up. "I'll come back later, all right?"

JT nodded. His voice stopped Chris before the officer could open the door. "Thank you."

Chris turned around, confused. "For what?"

JT bit his lip. "For not telling anyone you know me. For not telling anyone my last name."

Chris nodded, understanding. He smiled lightly. "I meant it, Jim. I won't tell anyone until and unless you say I can. But you should talk to Cory. He's a little worried about where you two will go when we arrive at Earth."

JT suddenly looked worried. "Does anyone know he's my cousin? Have they been hounding him too?"

Chris held up one hand. "No, no one knows you're related. He's fine, just worried. He didn't seem to think Winona would come home if called, and isn't sure what will happen to him, or you."

JT tried to hide the flinch at his mother's name, but knew he wasn't successful when he saw the compassion in Chris' gaze. He shrugged. "We'll be all right," he said, hoping he sounded offhand.

Chris didn't call him on the bluff, thankfully, and simply nodded. "Well, you know I'm here, if you ever need anything." He didn't wait for a reply, and just left the teenager alone, heading up to the Bridge for his shift.

**XXX**

JT was grateful to have some time alone to think after Chris left. Boyce had told him to rest, but he wasn't sure how much more rested he could get. He hadn't even left this biobed in days. Of course, he had been unconscious for a lot of that, and he probably wouldn't get very far if he did try, but still.

JT thought about everything that had happened since Starfleet had arrived. Cory and April had done a good job of filling him in, so he was pretty much caught up. He wasn't quite sure what to think right now. He was grateful to be rescued, of course, but the fact that it was Starfleet just stuck wrong with him. Starfleet was the root of all his troubles. Why his dad was dead, why his mom wasn't around, why he had had to grow up with Frank.

Of course, not all of them were bad. Boyce was all right, for a doctor anyway. He struck JT as an honest man, who would never send a kid back to a questionable home situation based on a few flimsy lies spun by the asshole who had necessitated the doctor's visit in the first place.

And Chris… if he wracked his – admittedly large – brain, he could come up with memories that involved a younger version of the Lieutenant Commander. Chris had said that he had visited a lot before Winona had remarried, so he knew that those memories had to have been from when he was three or younger. He remembered being held by Chris. Chris would pay attention to him when Winona wouldn't. He remembered laughing and being read to. He remembered being taken for drives on starry nights, where they would stop at the Overlook – a cliffy lookout spot with an amazing view – and Chris would sit him in his lap, while he and Sam would sit on the hood of the antique car that his father had spent so many years fixing up, and point out the constellations, telling the two boys the stories behind them.

Those memories with Chris were things he hadn't thought about in years, mostly because the bad of his childhood far outweighed the good, but as he lay there alone, he remembered. A few tears even escaped as he pondered his father's best friend. He wished Chris had tried harder to stay as well, but he knew the officer regretted it.

The problem was, regret didn't really help him out at all. He believed in actions and deeds. He appreciated Chris promising to keep his identity a secret, but he wouldn't trust the man on words alone. If the officer actually followed through… well, he'd reassess then. He was good at reading people, and he thought Chris would earn his trust eventually. He wanted to trust the man. Maybe he would in time.

A knock sounded hesitantly at the door, and JT looked up, surprised, as Tom entered, looking tentative. "Hey," he said softly, closing the door behind him and taking a seat in the chair Chris had recently vacated.

JT smiled. "Hey," he replied. "How're you doing?"

Tom shrugged, reaching up with one hand to lightly touch the bandage that covered half his face.

JT smirked. "Do they know you're out of bed?"

Tom grimaced. "I was going crazy, JT," he pleaded. "Come on, tell me you're not bored out of your skull too."

JT allowed him that. He was getting rather bored as well.

The two spent the rest of the morning sitting and talking. It was nice to be able to do so without having to worry about being caught by a patrol.

When Boyce came in a while later, he just smiled and handed JT his lunch, before ducking out to get Tom's as well. "Try not to tire yourselves out too much," he advised, before leaving them alone once more.

JT watched him go, and when the door was closed again, he commented, "For a doctor, he's not too bad."

Tom snorted. "I don't know what it is you have against doctors, JT, but you're right, he seems like a good guy."

**XXX**

When Chris returned that evening, he was glad to see Jim sitting up in his biobed, with a smile on his face as he listened to something Tom said.

Tom was also looking better, Chris noted. Making a swift decision, he turned around and left Medbay, heading up to the Observation Deck that housed JT's kids.

He returned to Medical shortly thereafter, leading four very excited kids, and it was worth any wrath he might face from the Captain or Boyce to see the way Jim's face lit up at the sudden crowding of his private room.

Chris left them alone and went to go find Shay for dinner. He'd come back later to take them back to the Observation Deck.

**XXX**

Shay joined Chris as he went to collect Cory, April, Kieran, and Kevin from Medical, and she too shared in his joy at seeing the happiness the kids displayed.

Chris cleared his throat, as the conversation in the room died off. He smiled. "It's getting late, I think I should get you guys back to the OD." He didn't give into their pouts and simply waited until they sighed and said goodbye to JT and Tom.

Boyce came in not long after that, and implored Tom to return to his own bed to get some much needed rest as well.

**XXX**

The day before they were to arrive at Earth, Halloway called another staff meeting, to go over their progress, and to make sure their reports were in order.

It was a pretty straightforward meeting; not much new was discussed, it was mostly just review. Halloway also informed several officers of his recommendations for promotion. Chris, Flynn, and Shay were all getting put forward – Chris and Flynn for their work of finding JT and the other kids, and Shay for her help with tracking down several of Kodos' guards. Because of her, they had managed to find a group of them hiding out in the woods to the south of the city.

All three accepted the congratulations from their colleagues with humility, before the meeting broke up.

"Pike."

Chris turned around, and gestured for Shay to leave without him when he saw the look on his captain's face. "Sir?" he asked, coming to attention.

Halloway observed his officer. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Has the kid told you anything?"

Chris furrowed his brow. "About what, sir?"

Halloway frowned. "Pike, I'm not an idiot, so don't play me for one. You've spent a lot of time with him, and you seemed to have gained the trust of all those kids." He sighed again, shaking his head slightly. "I don't like it either, but the fact is, he knows something about Kodos. With what the bastard did to the kid, there has to be something more there. And he won't give Communications a name. How are we supposed to find a place for him to stay if we can't search for relatives?"

Chris bit his lip. This was the moment where his promise would be tested. His commanding officer had just given him an order that he expected to be followed. Could Chris really lie to his Captain?

Thinking about Jim, lying in that biobed down in Medical, he realized that he really didn't have to think about it. He had made a promise, and he wouldn't let Jim down. Not again.

He looked straight into Halloway's determined gaze, and replied. "Sir, he hasn't told me anything. I don't know his name, and I don't know what the connection is between him and Kodos."

Halloway observed him for a moment, before he nodded austerely. "Well, if he does say something, I trust you will tell me."

It wasn't a question, so Chris just inclined his head, and left the room, feeling himself relax slightly once he was away from his Captain's scrutinizing gaze.

He couldn't wait for them to dock at Earth so that he could have some time to unwind. One of the things they had been informed of at the meeting was several weeks dirtside - for debriefs and shore leave - before they shipped off again.

As he sat at his station that day, the thought about what would happen when they docked the next morning. The civilians who had been released by their doctors would be taken to Starfleet Headquarters for debriefing. Those with more serious injuries would be transferred to Starfleet Medical. Since all of the kids besides Tom and JT were physically fine, other than a few lingering signs of malnutrition, they would be released to their families when they showed up. Starfleet had managed to contact all of the relatives that they could, and were arranging for them to meet the kids in San Francisco, so those that had living relatives would be able to leave after being debriefed. As they were minors, their guardians would need to be present.

Sha'al, Navan, and Trina would be met by the Ambassadors to their respective species, and after debriefing, would be released to their embassies. Of the rest of the kids, Cory, Matt, Jenny, Rose, and Diana didn't have any known relatives, so they would be placed in foster care.

Tom and JT would be sent to Starfleet Medical as well, though Boyce had said that Tom would be able to leave within a few days. He didn't have any family on Earth, but a cousin had relocated to the Mars colony a few years earlier. He would be arriving on Earth the day after the _Seymour _docked.

JT was a bit trickier. He would probably need to stay at Starfleet Medical for a few weeks, but after that, it was a bit uncertain. He still hadn't told anyone his real name, so they couldn't find any relatives. If he didn't speak up soon, he would also be released into the foster care system. Of course, that would likely come only after several rounds of debriefing, where they would pump him for any information they could on Kodos, his regime, his plans, and what his relationship to JT was.

JT knew this. That was why he had a plan. Of course, it involved being able to walk from one end of the room to the other without collapsing, so he wouldn't have a big window in which to enact his plan. But he was fairly confident he could pull it off.

Chris came to visit him the night before they were to arrive. He found Boyce and Tom both in JT's room. Listening for a few moments, he realized the doctor was telling the two teenagers the proposal for transferring them to Starfleet Medical the next day.

He could imagine JT biting his lip as he heard the kid ask, "Can we see the others before they leave?"

Chris chose that moment to interrupt. He cleared his throat as he opened the door. All three inhabitants turned to look at him. He glanced at Boyce, before looking at the two boys. "I can bring them down here tonight, for a few minutes. If that's all right?" he looked back at the doctor.

Boyce nodded. "Just for a few minutes. You both need your rest."

He ignored JT's groan as he left.

Chris smiled. "I'll be back in a bit," he promised, before following the doctor out.

Boyce stopped him before he left medbay. "Chris." The newly promoted Commander turned around. Boyce sighed. "I know the Captain's been pestering you. He's not a coldblooded bastard, you know. He's just got a lot on his mind."

Chris nodded slightly. "I know," he sighed, stepping closer to the doctor so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "I just think he's going about it the wrong way. JT didn't need to be hounded for details on the man who tortured him the moment he woke up."

Boyce shook his head. "He's the Captain. He's got a job to do. You're command qualified, Chris. At some point, you might be put in the same position."

Chris looked at him harshly. "I hope to God I never am."

Boyce flinched and nodded. That was true. What kind of luck would someone have to have to come across two genocides in their lifetime?

Chris left to go get the kids and bring them back to say goodbye, and Boyce disappeared into his office.

**XXX**

The kids were ecstatic to see JT and Tom again. Chris watched from the corner of the room, as they all talked over each other, laughing and just relaxing in each other's presence.

Seeing them, Chris knew he had made the right choice in setting this up. JT looked much better, just being in the presence of his kids. Although, Chris mused, that may be because he felt like he needed to be seen as the strong leader they were used to. He figured that probability was more than likely. While JT was healing, he still had a ways to go. It wasn't exactly like one could just walk off days of torture and months of starvation.

He left them alone for a while, knowing that they would want to have some time to themselves, without Starfleet listening in.

Kevin burrowed himself into JT's side and refused to move all evening.

"JT? What's going to happen to us?" he asked quietly, looking up at his savior with wide eyes.

JT looked down at the kid next to him, and then took in the worried expressions of those around him. He attempted a smile. "Starfleet has tracked down your families. They'll be waiting for you in San Francisco tomorrow."

"What if we don't have any?" Diana asked, biting her lip.

JT looked at her and tried another smile; this time it came out much more genuine. "Starfleet will place you with families that will take care of you."

There was silence for a few moments, before Kieran spoke up. "Will we still be able to see you?"

JT sighed. "I'm not sure," he replied. "I won't disappear though. I'll find you, no matter what, if you need me."

They were all reassured with that. JT had seen them through hell. They were alive because of him.

When it started to get late, Chris gathered the kids up to take them back to the Observation Deck. He would be smiling for the rest of the night, just thinking about how relaxed and happy JT had looked with his kids.

Cory stayed back when the others filed out of the room. When it was just he and JT alone, he spoke. "Jimmy… are we still going to be together?"

JT sighed again. "I don't know Cory, but like I told the others, I'll be there if you need me."

"But we're cousins," Cory said softly. "We're family. And my only family is Aunt Winona."

He wished he hadn't said anything when his cousin stiffened at his mother's name.

JT bit his lip. "You'll probably be placed in a foster home. I doubt Winona will want to be saddled with another kid, and honestly, I don't think I want you within two states of my stepfather."

Cory winced. While Jimmy had never said anything explicit about Frank, he knew it wasn't good. He had overheard and observed enough since Jimmy had come to live with them to know that he didn't want to go live with Frank. He hoped to God that they wouldn't send Jimmy back there either. That officer, Chris, had seemed like a good guy. And more than that, he knew who Jimmy was. Chris had said that he wouldn't send Jimmy back if it was a bad situation. Cory hoped he would keep his word.

He nodded hesitantly. He knew that Jimmy was trying to be brave for him, so he didn't continue to spout his fears and worries. He just gave his cousin a light hug, and joined the others as they headed back to the OD to get some sleep.

**XXX**

Docking went smoothly the next day; Chris and Shay were both busy all morning, getting the civilians organized onto shuttles to be taken to the surface. Shortly before lunch, the only two survivors left on the ship were Tom and JT. Chris was able to head down to Medbay to say goodbye to the two, before he had to return to his post on the Bridge.

He slipped into JT's room without drawing the attention of Boyce and Martin, who were working towards the far end of the room.

JT looked up on his entry, and smiled slightly, some exhaustion showing in his tight expression.

Chris took a seat, and observed the teenager in front of him. From the bags under his eyes, he doubted the kid had gotten much sleep the night before. "Hey," he said simply. JT just jerked his head in response. Chris sighed. "All the kids have been sent dirtside, you and Tom are the only ones left. As soon as Boyce gives the go ahead, we'll get you in a shuttle and you'll be transferred to Starfleet Medical." He shifted in his seat. "I just wanted to say goodbye before you left."

JT bit his lip and nodded. "Thanks for… you know," he said softly, unable to meet Chris' comforting gaze.

Chris smiled. "I'm here for you Jim. If you need anything, if you want to tell me anything… I'm here."

Something in Chris' tone told Jim that he suspected all was not well with Jim's home life. That if Jim decided to tell him about it, he would believe him. He wouldn't write him off as having an overactive imagination, or being a troublemaker. That he wouldn't make Jim go back to Iowa. But even knowing that, Jim couldn't make himself tell Chris about Frank. So he just shrugged and nodded noncommittally.

Chris sighed again. "Just keep it in mind, Jim." A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Chris turned in his seat to see Boyce poke his head in.

"The shuttle's all set," he informed them. "We're going to move you down to the shuttle bay in a few minutes."

JT looked nervous, but tried to hide it. Chris said a final goodbye before he left, and soon enough, Boyce was back, moving him to the shuttle so that they could take him down to the planet.

_Please review._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: not mine**

Chris sighed as he exited the building, after yet another round of debriefs. As a senior officer, and one of the key players in the rescue team that was first on scene on the planet, he had to be there. But that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Really, they just spent days and days discussing the same things over and over again. He was glad to have some time dirtside – it had been a long stretch out in the black, and he and Shay could definitely afford to spend some time fixing up their house located a short distance away from Starfleet Academy. Unfortunately, most of his time had been taken up by Admirals who felt the need to hash and rehash their actions on Tarsus.

Chris took a moment to soak in the late afternoon sun, and was thinking about walking back to his house, glad to have some time to think, when someone shouted his name, startling him and drawing his attention away from his thoughts about dinner and a relaxing evening.

He turned around, and watched, confused, as Captain Mercer of the _USS Yorktown_ walked briskly towards him. He hadn't been aware of the _Yorktown's_ arrival back at Earth.

Ben Mercer smiled as he caught up to the newly promoted Commander. "Chris, it's good to see you again."

Chris nodded courteously. "Captain, I didn't know the _Yorktown_ returned to Earth."

Mercer shrugged. "The second wave arrived a couple of days after you guys left, so the _Yorktown _and the _Endeavor _were able to depart. We brought more survivors back with us. The review boards wanted our statements as well, so here we are."

Chris grimaced at the mention of the review boards. He was really tired of the way they kept repeating the same questions, as if he would have a different answer if they kept asking him.

Mercer chuckled a little. "They're pretty relentless, aren't they," he agreed.

Chris nodded again. "It's been days of nonstop questions, and not even new ones. I don't know why they expect I'm going to change my story."

Mercer shook his head slightly, leading Chris over to a nearby bench. "It's their job," he said. "They aren't trying to trip you up and you're not in trouble. But Tarsus IV was a Federation Colony. They need answers, and to be honest, they need someone to blame. Have you seen the media coverage?"

Chris winced. It hadn't been pretty. All the networks were talking about the genocide, and somehow, they had gotten information on Kodos' lists, the number of casualties, and several other details Chris knew had been deemed classified before the _Seymour_ had even reached Earth.

Mercer nodded knowingly. "Starfleet needs to point a finger somewhere, and unfortunately, they can't even say they caught the man responsible. Kodos is in the wind." He looked around briefly, to make sure there was no one within hearing distance, before he turned back to Chris. "You didn't hear this from me, but we found a body, burned beyond recognition. It's in our report. We found it in the Governor's personal suite, and even if we can't positively identify the remains, I think Starfleet is planning on telling everyone it's Kodos."

Chris furrowed his brow. He understood the need to blame someone. With the horrors that had been released on Tarsus, people needed to point a finger somewhere. Without Kodos, they were left with pent up anger and nowhere to release it. Giving the public closure could stop riots, or panic. It was a necessary evil, but Chris did understand.

That didn't mean he liked it.

Mercer shifted in his seat. "I know how you feel," he stated calmly. "It sucks, and it's not right, but giving the public a body could prevent widespread panic. And giving the survivors closure could help them heal. They deserve to be able to put it behind them."

Chris sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. "It's not right," he agreed. "They're lying to everyone, and I hate it. But I understand. We'll all be gagged under Order Twenty Three, and if we say anything, at the very least, we'll be dishonorably discharged, and more than likely, sentenced to hard time."

Mercer shrugged. "We're middlemen. It's not up to us to make the hard decisions. We do our jobs, to the best of our ability. Can you tell me whether or not you regret going down to that planet?"

Chris shook his head immediately. "Not one bit," he replied forcefully. "I helped save people. That makes it worth it, no matter what else."

Mercer smiled. "From what I heard, you did more than just help. How are those kids doing?"

Chris pursed his lips. "Most of them were reunited with whatever relatives they had, or sent to foster homes in the area. Tom and JT, two of the ones in the prison, were transferred to Starfleet Medical. Tom was released in the care of his cousin three days ago."

"What about the other?" Mercer asked, genuinely concerned.

Chris grimaced. "He's refusing to tell anyone his real name. I have a feeling the Admirals are going to want to talk to him more than any of the others. They'll grill him for details, and probably just do more damage. As for where he'll go… eventually, when Starfleet's done with him, he'll probably be sent to a foster home."

He didn't want Jim to have to go through all that, and had considered the possibility of springing him on more than one occasion, but knew it wouldn't do much good if Jim wasn't strong enough to be released from the hospital.

Mercer sighed. "I'm sure he'll be fine." Chris just jerked a shoulder in response. The Captain cleared his throat. "Anyway, I actually had another reason for searching you out today."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "What can I help you with, sir?"

Mercer smiled. "Come on, Chris, none of that 'sir', now, we were doing so well." Chris snorted, and Mercer chuckled. "My First Officer has requested a transfer to a Starbase, so I find myself in need of a replacement. You up for it?"

Chris stared. "Uh…"

Mercer laughed again. "I know, new promotion, and now this? It's ok to be surprised. I spoke with Halloway, and while he'll miss you, he'll approve your transfer."

Chris shook his head slightly, snapping out of his stupor. Unexpected, definitely. But a happy surprise. He had known he was on the fast track for his career, but he still hadn't expected to make First Officer so early. In most cases, an officer would spend at least a year as a Commander before being promoted to First Officer. He looked back up at Mercer, who was watching him with a knowing smirk on his face. "I'm honored, sir, really. But my girlfriend –"

Mercer shook his head. "Halloway knew that, he moaned and groaned about it for a while, but Lieutenant Commander One will receive her new orders as soon as you say yes."

Chris grinned. "I'd be honored."

Mercer nodded. "I thought so." He stood up. "Welcome aboard, Chris. We ship out in ten days."

Chris stood up as well, and took the Captain's offered hand. "Thank you, sir."

Mercer sighed. "Come on, Chris. We used to be friends. Can't you call me Ben, at all?"

Chris shrugged. "You're my superior. My Commanding Officer now."

Mercer shook his head. "If I have to make it an order, I will. You can 'sir' and 'Captain' me to death all you want in front of the crew, but in private, I expect to hear my name at least once per conversation."

Chris snorted. "Aye, aye, sir."

Mercer just sighed and started to walk away.

"Ben," Chris called out, stopping him before he could get too far away. Mercer turned around. "Thank you."

Mercer nodded, smiling. "I'll be in touch. We'll talk more tomorrow."

It was Chris' turn to nod, before the two men headed in their separate directions.

**XXX**

Chris stopped by Starfleet Medical three days before the _Yorktown_ was scheduled to depart for the Delta Quadrant. He had spent a good deal of time with Captain Mercer and the rest of the _Yorktown_'s Command Crew over the last week, becoming familiar with his new colleagues, and discussing their newest assignment.

Doctor Boyce caught up with Chris as he made his way up to the third floor. "Chris."

Chris turned slightly, and nodded a greeting.

Boyce sighed. "He's not here."

Chris stopped abruptly. "What do you mean?" he asked sharply.

Boyce stopped as well, turning to face his friend and former colleague. "JT. He somehow managed to walk out of here last night. Quite impressive actually, considering he had a guard stationed at his door, and video monitors that all went offline at 2300. The kid was gone ten minutes later."

Chris fought the urge to laugh. He had contemplated breaking Jim out before Starfleet could question him, but it seemed the kid had gotten there first. He was worried, of course, but he knew that Jim wouldn't have left unless he was sure he was strong enough to get away clean.

"I bet the board is pissed," he commented neutrally.

Boyce looked at him sharply. "Halloway told them he had a witness who could positively identify Kodos. They've already spoken with the other eight, but none of them were really able to give them a good picture of the man, or everything he had done as Governor. You know, he thinks JT is the one who sent us the information on Kodos' plans."

Chris forced himself not to react. He suspected the same thing, but he had carefully avoided asking the kid anything. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

Boyce shrugged. "Halloway might want to question you more soon. You may have avoided answering anything before, but he's not an idiot, and neither am I. The kid told you something, didn't he?"

Chris swallowed, and shook his head. "Please, Boyce, don't –"

Boyce held up one hand. "I'm not going to dig, or demand an answer. You're entitled to your privacy, and the way I see it, so is the kid." He paused for a moment, and then sighed again. "You take care of yourself out there, Chris. Captain Mercer's a good man. Congratulations on the promotion."

Chris nodded absentmindedly. "Thanks," he replied, before making his way out of the building. There wasn't much point in him being there, since the kid he had been intending to see was no longer in residence. He only hoped that Jim would be all right, and he trusted that Jim would contact him if he needed to.

**XXX**

Jim exhaled softly as he waited for the shuttle to empty out, so that he could exit without any prying eyes seeing him. He didn't want to be back here, but until he thought of a better plan, it was the only place he knew he could have a roof over his head.

Riverside, Iowa. The place he grew up. The place Frank lived. A place he hated with all his heart. Farmers, hicks, people who were born, lived, and died in the same small town, who never felt the need to get out, to see the world. People who didn't care about what went on beyond their own fields. A one-stoplight kind of town.

He promised himself he would only be here for a little while. As soon as he had a plan, he would leave.

Finally, the shuttle was empty. Jim knew this was his chance, so he stood up from his hiding spot amongst the cargo at the back, wincing as he felt the lingering pain from his ordeal wrack his emaciated frame. Perhaps he should have waited a few more days to enact his jailbreak, but he knew Starfleet would be questioning him soon. That doctor really shouldn't have given him a PADD when he'd asked. Honestly, the firewalls Starfleet used were a joke; it had only taken him a few minutes to navigate his way into their secure database and see what was going on with the review board, and the debriefs. He had seen everything – the statements from both Starfleet officers and the other eight people they had found in Kodos' prison. He hadn't wanted to read Tom and Kevin's statements, but he told himself he needed to, that he had to know. Neither one had told the board his name, or what they knew about what had happened to him. Just what they had experienced, and he was grateful.

He was glad to see no mention of his real name in the debriefings from the Starfleet officers, so he knew that Chris had kept his word, but he also saw that asshole Captain Halloway present him as a witness. He knew the man wanted to question him about anything and everything relating to Kodos, and Jim wouldn't do it. He just wanted to forget.

Jim slipped off the shuttle and made his way through the shadows to the exit. He was at the Riverside shipyard now, a place he knew quite well. He had spent a lot of time at the shipyard, before Tarsus. Commander Peterson was a good guy, and he knew that Jim needed a place to escape sometimes, when Frank got to be too much. So he let Jim hang out at the shipyard, and taught him about engines, and starships. He had been rewiring computer consoles as long as he could remember.

He recognized a few of the men he saw as he evaded security patrols, officers who had been working at the Shipyard for over two years, and had been around since before Jim had gone to live with his aunt and uncle. It was late evening, and work had stopped for the night. The shuttle he had stowed away on had been the last one for the day.

Soon enough, he was out of the Shipyard, and walking down the dirt road that would take him into town. Not that it was much of a town – a bar, a couple of cafés, a church, a small grocery store. There were a couple mom and pop type stores mixed in, but it really couldn't be called a town.

Jim's home – or rather, the place where he resided – was located a good hour or two walk out of town – only ten minutes or so by car – so he had plenty of time to think as he walked.

All too soon, though, he was reaching the farmstead he knew used to belong to his father's parents. They had given George and Winona the home when they had gotten married, moving to an apartment more suited to their aging bodies. When Frank had moved in, he had made it his own rather quickly; the floors had soon become littered with trash and empty beer cans, dust gathered in the corners, dirt collected on the carpet. Jim had never known what the house had looked like when his father lived there, but he doubted it had looked anything like it did now.

The door was unlocked, so Jim hesitantly made his way inside, holding his breath to not make any noise. It was pretty late, and he hoped that Frank wouldn't be awake.

Sure enough, the floor was still littered with beer bottles and cans. Trash was piled up, and even in the darkness, Jim could see cobwebs in the corners.

Jim accidentally kicked a bottle as he made his way to the stairs that would take him to his old bedroom. A grunt from the direction of the living room almost stopped his heart. He turned his head, and saw a truly disgusting sight. Frank was passed out on the couch, wearing a wife beater muscle tank and a pair of ratty sweats. His beer belly was showing clearly in the expanse of skin that lay between the bottom of the tank top and the top of the sweatpants. He had a grizzly beard that seemed to be longer than it had been when Jim had left two years earlier.

Frank snored loudly, and Jim forced himself to calm down. He was halfway up the stairs before he realized that the snores had stopped. He swallowed harshly, and turned around. A series of heavy steps sounded out in the silence, and then Frank was standing before him.

He stared at Jim for a minute, his piggy eyes taking in the teenager's thin frame. "So, you're back," he said, a mocking tone to his voice. "Knew you couldn't make it work."

Jim grit his teeth and forced himself to nod steadily. Frank didn't say anything else, and went back to the couch. As soon as he was alone again, Jim turned and hurried up to his bedroom.

He felt better when he was in his room with the door closed, even if there was no way to lock it. He looked around his room, observing the changes. There was dust all over the place, and his room looked almost like it had been looted. The dresser was open with clothes spilling out, as was the closet. His bed was unmade, and stood slightly crooked against the wall.

He sat down on the mess of sheets and drew his knees to his chest. "Home sweet home," he muttered sardonically.

**XXX**

Several weeks passed and Jim was still in Riverside. He wasn't wasting his time, of course. He had become rather adept at stealing on Tarsus. He didn't like it, but if he wanted to get out, he needed money. He was still too young to get a job, so this was the only thing he could think of.

He visited Commander Peterson, and the few people he knew in town that weren't awful.

No one had known where his aunt and uncle had lived when he had been sent away, and Frank had made it quite clear that he was back because he had screwed it up, just like he screwed everything up. Fortunately, the few people who really knew him didn't believe Frank, but most of the town just sighed and shook their heads, as if to say, 'that's Jim Kirk.' Burden, waste of space, to be pitied and looked down on. Not worth trying, because it wouldn't work anyway.

He didn't re-enroll in school. Frank didn't really care, and he still hadn't heard anything from his mother. If anyone asked, he could just say that he had graduated while living with his aunt and uncle. It was even true. If anyone took the time to actually look at his file, they would see his intelligence scores, the fact that he tested out of high school at seven years old, and the two Bachelor's degrees he had to his name. But no one ever looked.

Jim spent a good deal of time walking the streets of town, picking pockets where he could, and shoplifting small items to pawn later, so that he could save up for a ticket across the Atlantic,. He had made a promise, and he had decided that before he thought any further, he needed to make good on that promise. But tickets to Russia were expensive, and if his calculations were correct, with his current plan of action, it would take him around six months to save up enough to leave.

He also checked up on his kids to the best of his ability. He hacked into Starfleet's records, and found out where they had all been sent; he then did his own research to see what they were doing. Most were seeing shrinks regularly – Jim didn't try and find out what had been said in those meetings, respecting their privacy – and were enrolled in local schools. Sha'al had returned to her home world, but Trina and Navan were still on Earth. All seemed to be doing well, though, which made Jim feel better. Most of them were still in America, though one or two had moved in with family that lived in other parts of the world or universe.

As the days and weeks blurred together, Jim just kept himself focused on the end goal. Get enough money to fly to Russia. After that, he'd figure something else out. The first step was to just get out of Iowa.

Thinking about his plan kept him going when Frank slipped back into the old routine with ease. A shove to the kitchen to get him a beer, or dinner. A beating when he disturbed Frank's rest as he tried to navigate the piles of trash in the living room. A thrashing when he got caught picking someone's pocket three months after returning to Iowa.

It took Jim almost a day to be able to move again, and even that was somewhat limited motion, but he forced himself to keep going.

The second time he got caught, a couple months later, it was for shoplifting. In his defense, he really needed the toothbrush, and it wasn't like Frank would get him one. Frank was livid when the cop brought him home, and barely even waited for the door to close before he was throwing Jim against a wall and coming at him with feet and fists.

Screw it, Jim thought as he tried to protect his head. In the last five months, he had saved up enough that he thought he could probably make it work. And he wasn't going to spend another day with this man if he could help it.

Eventually, Frank got bored, and wandered off in search of more beer. Jim lay there for a while longer, trying to force air back into his lungs. He could feel at least one cracked rib, and he thought his collarbone might have received the same treatment.

After a while, he could hear Frank leave through the front door, and he knew this was his chance. Slowly, he dragged himself up off the floor and made his way up to his bedroom. He had kept a packed bag under his bed for the last few months, so he just had to grab it, and his leather jacket, and he was ready to go. The jacket was something he had found while exploring the attic a month earlier. On the tag, in worn writing, was the name 'George Kirk'. Jim had taken it, in part because it was a nice jacket, clearly expensive and loved, if the wear it showed was anything to go by, but also because it had been his father's. He didn't really have anything to link him to the man who had not had the chance to raise him, and he relished in the opportunity to have some connection to the man. It was a little large on him, but he knew he would grow into it.

**XXX**

When Jim slipped into the shipyard, the sun was almost down. The sky was a dark blue, and some stars were already visible.

Jim looked around, readjusting the strap on his bag to alleviate some pain.

"Jim?"

Jim looked up, startled, at the sound of his name. His eyes widened, adopting an almost deer-in-headlights look at the sight of Commander Peterson.

The officer looked confused and a little worried. "Jim?" he asked again. "Is everything all right?"

Jim bit his lip, his gaze shifting from a spot just over the Commander's shoulder, down to the ground. "I was just… are there any more shuttles leaving tonight?"

Commander Peterson jerked back slightly, surprised. He studied the teenager, noting the signs of pain that he knew Jim was trying to hide, and the impressive black eye that was beginning to develop, along with the cut located above his eyebrow. He was not a stupid man, and he could guess what was going on. He probably should have confronted the kid, but instead, he just nodded, smiling tightly. "Yeah, we've got one more heading to San Francisco, the last one out. Give me a minute, and I'll smooth it over with the pilot."

Jim nodded thankfully and followed the Commander towards the hangar. A few hushed words, and Peterson was gesturing for Jim to get on board.

He stopped the teenager before he climbed on. "Jim…" He trailed off for a moment, before clearing his throat and continuing. "Take care of yourself Jimmy. You'll do great."

Jim quirked his lips, but didn't actually smile, as he nodded and boarded the shuttle.

Peterson watched them take off, thinking. He knew he wouldn't see Jim Kirk again, not for a while, at least, and truth be told, he was sort of grateful for that fact. Jim Kirk was too good for Riverside, Iowa. He needed to be out there, making his mark on the world. A small town like Riverside would just hold him back.

No, Jim Kirk deserved better.

_Please review!_


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